Faces: After!
by Davner
Summary: The sequel to Slayers: Faces!
1. Xellos' Gift! The Question in Sylphiel'...

Slayers is the property of Kadokawa Shoten. Labyrinth is the property of Jim Henson, and all   
lyrics used for the purpose of this fic is the property of David Bowie.  
  
Hi, everyone! ^_^ Well, my other fic, "Slayers: Faces," got such wonderful feedback and   
encouragement, that I decided to start a sequel. Let me know what you think. Oh, one last thing. I   
sort of borrowed the character Jareth from Jim Henson's "Labyrinth." If you've seen the movie,   
then you'll get a few of the in jokes. If not, I don't think it'll hurt you any.  
  
  
  
  
Faces: After  
Part 1  
Xellos' Gift!  
The Question in Sylphiel's Heart  
  
  
  
The door to the cottage opened slowly; barely disturbing the cobwebs and dust within.   
Within the doorframe stood a single woman with proud features, flaming red hair, and a glint in her   
eye.  
  
She promptly fell forward and collapsed inside; a cloud of dust rising from the impact.  
  
"Sooooo….hungrrrrrryyy!" she murmured, continuing to crawl into the cabin.  
  
A shadow from the doorway fell over her. Zelgadis looked down at her and shook his   
head. "So you were forced to skip *one* meal. Stop acting as if you're on death's door." He   
stepped over the sorceress' body and into the cabin.  
  
Lina's eye twitched at the chastisement.  
  
"Oi, Lina," Gourry began as he stepped inside. "Didn't the guy who sent us here say that   
this place was stocked with food?"  
  
"FOOD!" Lina, cried, suddenly reminded by Gourry's words. "Gourry, you're a genius!"  
  
As Amelia and Sylphiel stepped into the cottage, Lina began ransacking the pantries.   
Amelia took a look around and frowned. "This place is so run down," she said dejectedly.  
  
"It's only temporary," Lina pointed out as she continued to search fruitlessly through the   
cabinets. "The village is too far away. If we're going to hunt down this goblin king and collect   
our reward, we need a base near where they say he lives." She grunted as she opened another set   
of cabinets. A spider winked at her. "Ick…" She turned to another pantry and continued her   
search. "Besides, it beats cold tents and the rain, doesn't it?"  
  
Amelia held up her fist. "A clean cottage is a just cottage!" She reached into her pack and   
removed a scrub brush. "In the name of Justice eternal! I, Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun, shall make   
this run down shack an abode of justice!"  
  
Sylphiel blew some dust off the mantle above the fireplace. She coughed as a cloud of   
smoke enveloped her head. "It just needs a little spring cleaning," she suggested between coughs.  
  
Amelia didn't hear her. "For justice demands that the scourge of dirt be vanquished…"  
  
"No…No…No…NO!" Lina screamed, slamming the door on the last pantry.  
  
"What's wrong, Miss Lina?" Amelia asked, breaking off in mid-tirade.  
  
"There's nothing here!" Lina complained angrily. "No food at all!"  
  
"Heh," Zelgadis huffed. "What did you expect? The man was practically begging us to   
take this job. Would you have marched all day into this forest if you knew there was no food at the   
end of the road?"  
  
"Yeah, but we could at least have brought our own supplies!" Lina cried. She growled.   
  
"So what do we do?" Gourry asked.  
  
"Do?" Lina asked, her eye twitching. "I'll tell you what we do…We go back to that   
village, find that old geezer *PUNK* and roast him over an open fire!"  
  
"Miss Lina! Please calm down!" Sylphiel begged her.   
  
"Sylphiel's right," Zelgadis chimed in. "If you roast him, he can't pay us. And since   
we're out of money as it is, if he doesn't pay us, we're sunk."  
  
"Fine! We'll find the goblin, get our money, and *then* roast the geezer! Good plan?"   
Lina asked.  
  
"Miss Lina…" Amelia sighed, shaking her head.  
  
"Well, what about food?" Gourry asked.  
  
"We're going to have to go back to the village and get some, I guess," Lina shrugged.   
  
No one liked the sound of this. The trek to this cabin had taken hours through rough terrain.   
They didn't relish the idea of repeating it on an empty stomach.  
  
"Odds and Evens!" Lina declared, holding her fist out. "Short group goes for food,   
agreed?"  
  
They all stuck their hands out and nodded.   
  
"One! Two! Three!"  
  
They all stuck out either one or two fingers. Lina, Zelgadis, and Sylphiel held out two,   
Gourry and Amelia held out one.  
  
The two sighed. "I guess we're going," Gourry said in defeat.  
  
"Thanks, guys! Hurry back!" Lina cried with a smile and a wave.  
  
"Can't we at least have some water and rest before we…" Amelia began, but Lina cut her   
off.  
  
"The sooner you go, the sooner you'll be back with dinner! Besides, while you're gone,   
we'll be making this place livable."  
  
"But…" Gourry started in.  
  
"Bai-iiii!" Lina cried, giving them a good shove out the door, which slammed shut behind   
them.  
  
Amelia and Gourry stared at the door and sighed. "Miss Lina sure is harsh when she's   
hungry," the princess commented.  
  
The swordsman only nodded.  
  
  
  
Lina dusted her hands off and took a look at the interior of the cabin with a critical eye.   
"Well," she remarked, "It *is* only temporary."  
  
"We should get started," Sylphiel suggested, searching a closet for a mop or broom.  
  
Zelgadis started for the door.   
  
"Hey, Zel, where do you think you're going?" the redhead asked him suspiciously.  
  
The chimera adjusted his swordbelt but didn't turn as he answered her. "There's a reason   
no one lives in this cabin anymore. If there are goblins in this forest, it might be a good idea to   
take a look around and check over the area."  
  
Lina thought for a moment and nodded. "Be back in an hour, regardless. Just in case."  
  
He nodded and started out the door again.  
  
"Be careful, Zelgadis dear," Sylphiel called out to him.  
  
"Back in an hour." With that, he walked out the door.  
  
Sylphiel turned and found Lina looking at her oddly. "Um…Is something wrong, Miss   
Lina?"  
  
"'Zelgadis dear?'" the sorceress asked.  
  
The shrine maiden blinked and began to sweat. Did she just call him that out loud?   
Though not actively trying to hide their newfound relationship, the two of them had been trying to   
keep it low key. In the month since they had been reunited with Lina, Amelia, and Gourry, no one   
had seemed to notice.  
  
Until now.  
  
"Did I say that?" Sylphiel asked, blushing furiously.  
  
Lina grinned. "I knew it. I knew there were things the two of you weren't mentioning   
about your little adventure."  
  
The priestess tried to recover. "I…don't know what you mean…"  
  
"Of course not," Lina replied, grinning from ear to ear.   
  
"Um…I'm going to get some water so I can mop the floor!" Sylphiel announced quickly.   
Grabbing a bucket, she dashed out the back.  
  
The sorceress giggled. "Zelgadis and Sylphiel…Who would've thought?" She frowned a   
moment later. "Amelia's going to be crushed." Sighing, she set her jaw and prepared to some   
housework, Inverse Style. "Time for some dusting…"  
  
She opened all the windows and stood in the center of the room, raising her hands above   
her.   
  
"DIEM WIN!" She cried, pointing the palms of her hands outward. A gush of air flew   
from her outstretched hands and began blowing the dust, cobwebs, and other debris off the walls   
and furniture and outside.  
  
Five minutes later, she clapped her hands off and sat on the couch, now dust free.   
  
Who said housework had to be hard?  
  
  
  
Zelgadis knelt next to a rotten log and examined it. It had been disturbed recently. He   
checked the ground for tracks and let his hand rest on the grip of his new sword. There were a few   
claw marks in the wood, but he couldn't tell if they were from a cat, a cougar, or a resting goblin.  
  
He stood up and took another look around. Just to be safe, he'd suggest having someone   
stand watch tonight. Goblins, despite their reputation as bumbling cowards, could be cunning.   
Moreso when one of their leadership caste was with them.  
  
Something rustled in the bushes behind him, and he turned, drawing his sword.   
  
Nothing.  
  
His eyes narrowed.   
  
He really hated goblins.   
  
When he had worked for Rezo, the Red Priest often made use of them as cannon fodder.   
They were cheap, replenishable sources of labor.  
  
The chimera still didn't like them.  
  
He started back down the path. This part of the forest was giving him the creeps.  
  
As he walked out of earshot, two creatures wearing dilapidated metal helmets poked their   
heads out of the bushes. "People in the old cottage," one of them commented.  
  
"Hee hee," the other replied. "Tell Jareth. Gotta tell Jareth."  
  
As one, they disappeared back into the foliage.  
  
  
  
Sylphiel worked the handle on the water pump one last time and lifted the filled bucket out   
of the basin. She paused, not quite ready to reenter the cabin. Why didn't she just come out and   
tell Lina about the whole thing? It's not as if they were rivals….anymore.   
  
Could it be because *she* wasn't sure yet? She and Zelgadis dear loved each other, she   
knew that, but would it really work out in the end?   
  
Or would he cast her aside in pursuit of his cure?  
  
Her thoughts wandered back to the image Achi had put in her mind during their battle on   
Zarak Tor. Zelgadis dear…the father of her children…  
  
(I wonder what kind of father he would make?) she thought to herself. It was one thing to   
dream, it was quite another thing to honestly answer such a question.  
  
She sighed, picked up the bucket again, and turned.  
  
"Hello!"  
  
She yelped in surprise and dropped the bucket, the contents spilling out onto the ground.  
  
Xellos blinked. "Did I frighten you?" He smiled. "Sorry about that."  
  
Sylphiel took a second to compose herself. "Mister Xellos. How are you?"  
  
"Not bad," he said. "Given the circumstances," he added, muttering under his breath.  
  
"Is Miss Naga with you?"  
  
"Oh, no!" he replied, waving the thought aside. "I wanted to drop in and see how you   
were getting on. Our dear White Serpent is unaware of my absence." He lowered his voice and   
whispered conspiratorially. "I left her in the care of a stand-in fully capable of taking my place as   
her…'side-kick…'"  
  
  
  
Meanwhile…  
  
  
  
Naga took a sip of tea and opened the newspaper. The inn's waitress stopped at their table   
and deposited another serving of eggs and bacon before walking off again.  
  
"Now, let's see," the sorceress began. "According to this there's a small village that's   
having problems with a goblin king, and a giant orc escaped from Atlas custody. Both have pretty   
good rewards for whoever brings them in. What do you think, side-kick."  
  
"That's a secret," came the reply from across the table.  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Naga muttered. "What do you know about goblin kings? Anything?"  
  
"That's a secret."  
  
"Look, side-kick," the White Serpent said, annoyed, "It's okay to have a catch phrase, but   
as long as you are *MY* side-kick, you will answer all of my questions to the best of your ability   
or else no ten percent! Got it?!"  
  
"That's a secret."  
  
"I give up!" She rose from the table and stomped off.  
  
A moment later, the waitress returned. She saw the empty chair and looked across the   
table at the life-size Xellos plushie. "Hey! Who's gonna pay the check?!"  
  
"That's a secret," came the reply from the plushie.  
  
  
  
"Anyway," Xellos went on as Sylphiel refilled the bucket, "I must admit I have another   
reason for showing up."  
  
"And what's that?" she asked.  
  
She looked up to find the Mazoku's face an inch from hers, a sly grin playing upon it.   
"Why, to thank you properly for services rendered, Miss Sylphiel."  
  
Sylphiel took a step back. "What are you talking about?" She didn't like it when the   
trickster priest smiled like that. It unnerved her.  
  
"Miss Sylphiel, I'm not sure you realize exactly what it is you have done," Xellos told her,   
circling around behind her. Sylphiel stayed stock still. "Are you aware, my dear Sylphiel, that   
your actions at Zarak Tor, probably saved the lives of every Mazoku in existence?"  
  
Her breath caught in her throat. What was he talking about?  
  
"By destroying the Zarak trees, Miss Sylphiel, you helped maintain the balance of power   
between the Mazoku and the Shinzoku, and have quite probably averted a war we would have been   
predestined to lose." He grinned at her. "That makes you a…hero…to us."  
  
She took a breath. She had never seen it from that particular perspective before. She   
wasn't sure how she thought about helping the great Monster Race maintain any sort of power in   
the world. As a white priestess, the idea galled her.  
  
"Oh, yes, I know, you don't like the idea," Xellos told her. "And I know you did what you   
did for your own reasons." His smile returned. "It doesn't, however, in any way alter the fact that   
we owe you something. The Mazoku, my dear Sylphiel, always repay their debts."  
  
"What do you want?" Sylphiel whispered.  
  
"I want to grant you a wish," Xellos told her, his arms spread benevolently.  
  
"Make Zelgadis dear human," she replied immediately.  
  
The priest sighed. "Unfortunately, that is even beyond *my* power to grant. What I can   
grant you is an answer."  
  
"An answer?"  
  
"To a question, Miss Sylphiel."  
  
"I...wouldn't know what to ask," she told him.  
  
He smiled and reached out, touching her forehead. Sylphiel felt lightheaded for a moment,   
but it passed. Xellos stepped back, his grin widening.  
  
"You'll have your answer by the end of the day," he told her.  
  
"What did you just do?" she asked him nervously.  
  
He smiled. "That's a secret." He vanished a second later.  
  
The priestess took a breath. It was okay. She felt fine. Besides, all he said was that he   
was going to answer a question.   
  
She just wished she knew to which question…  
  
  
  
Zelgadis entered the upstairs bedroom and threw his pack on the nearby bed. He hadn't   
found any clear evidence of goblins, but he had a feeling they were out there.   
  
"Zelgadis dear! Welcome back!"  
  
He looked up and smiled as Sylphiel entered the room, holding a vase with a few   
wildflowers in it. She placed it next to the window and turned it until the angle was just right.  
  
"Did you find anything?" she asked.  
  
He growled slightly. "Nothing. A few signs here and there, but nothing I can point to and   
say, 'There they are.'"  
  
"I'm sorry," she said sympathetically.   
  
Once Gourry and Amelia are back, we can start a real search," he assured her. He sat   
down on the bed and laid back, trying to relax. After five hours of marching and another hour of   
searching for goblins, it had already been a long day, and it was barely the afternoon.  
  
"You and Lina were busy," he commented. "I can hardly believe this is the same cabin."  
  
Sylphiel shut the door quietly and turned back to him. "It didn't take much work," she told   
him. She walked over and sat on the bed next to him. He turned an eye toward her and found her   
blushing.  
  
"Something wrong?" he asked.  
  
"No," she said softly. "I was just thinking to myself…"  
  
He blinked. "About what?"  
  
"Well," she said, "It…just occurred to me that Gourry and Amelia won't be back until   
late…And…Miss Lina is downstairs…" She smiled, blushed again and turned away.  
  
Zelgadis began to turn red. He had an idea where this was going.   
  
Sylphiel saw this and pounced on it. "And you've had such a long day…" she explained.   
"I thought perhaps…you might benefit from the…um…ministrations of a healer priestess…"  
  
He knew he was in trouble. Something had surprised him early on in their short   
relationship that he still couldn't believe.  
  
Sylphiel had a playful side.  
  
"Um…Ministrations?" he asked, the red on his face growing deeper in shade.  
  
He felt her hands on his chest and her lips on his. He closed his eyes and felt the priestess   
shift her weight on the bed.  
  
Lost in it all, he didn't even worry if the door was locked or not…  
  
  
  
Lina growled to herself as her third search of the house turned up nothing in the way of   
food. Thoughts of finding the old codger who had suckered them into taking this job and throwing   
him off the edge of a cliff played in her mind. She imagined that the rumbling of her stomach was   
actually the sound of him hitting the bottom of a deep gorge.  
  
"This sucks," she growled, closing another cabinet. She sighed and sat down at the table,   
resting her head on her arms. Gourry and Amelia were at least nine hours away with dinner.   
  
(Maybe Zel found a stream or something where I can get some fish for lunch,) she thought.   
She was about to go ask him when she heard a very familiar sound.  
  
The sound of someone biting into a great, big, juicy, red apple.  
  
She looked up and found Xellos standing at the other side of the table. "Hewwo dere,   
Rina," he mumbled as he chewed.   
  
Lina's eyes began to shine. "Xellos….You…That…Apple?"  
  
"Oh!" he said as if it just occurred to him. "Would you like one?" He reached into his   
robes and pulled out the biggest, reddest, juiciest-looking apple Lina had ever seen. Her mouth   
watered at the sight of it.  
  
She whimpered in longing at it, drool threatening to run down her chin.  
  
"Here you go, Lina chan," Xellos said with a smile and tossed the fruit to her.  
  
"XELLOS, YOU ARE A LIFE SAVER!" Lina cried, catching the apple and biting into it.   
  
He chuckled. "Yes, I am a character, aren't I?"  
  
Lina chewed happily. "Zewwos," she mumbled with her mouth full, "Doday…yuu awe by   
ero…" She broke off as she felt something, like a fluttering in her stomach. She looked up at the   
smiling Mazoku. "Whad da bell did yuu jubst doo da me?" she asked as seriously as she could   
with half an apple in her mouth.  
  
"Now, now, Lina chan," Xellos began. "This time it really is for a good cause. I assure   
you, it's only a temporary thing…"  
  
"Xellos!" Lina cried. She suddenly felt shorter. "What the…" She started to panic as she   
continued to shrink, her voice began to change in pitch.  
  
"HEEEEELP!!!"  
  
  
  
Sylphiel sighed lazily and closed her eyes, immersed in heaven. It still surprised her that a   
man so gruff and, at times, harsh could be so gentle. She reached up and touched the rigid tendrils   
of grey hair on his head, remembering a time when she could run her fingers through brown locks.   
  
She giggled as she felt him kiss her neck. He was such a romantic…  
  
"HEELLLPPP!!!"  
  
Zelgadis' head shot up as the cry for help echoed through the room. With a quick   
movement, he jumped out of bed and grabbed his sword. He rushed out of the room, Sylphiel   
running behind him, rebuttoning her blouse.  
  
They reached the stairs and stopped. Zelgadis pointed his sword downward and walked   
quickly, but cautiously down the steps, searching with his eyes for any danger. Sylphiel laid a   
hand on his bare shoulder to get his attention and pointed towards the kitchen. He nodded and   
started in that direction.  
  
"Lina?" he called out softly. He entered the kitchen and found it empty. "Lina?"  
  
Sylphiel looked down at the floor and gasped. Zelgadis followed her gaze, and his jaw   
dropped in astonishment. "My god," he whispered.  
  
The shrine maiden knelt down before what had grabbed her attention slowly, still in utter   
shock.  
  
"Oh…dear Cepheid," she whispered. "SHE'S SO CUTE!!!"  
  
Sitting on top of a pile of a sorceress' outfit, a baby with a fiery mane of red hair sucked   
her thumb and looked around fearfully.  
  
"What the hell is this supposed to be?" Zelgadis asked no one in particular.  
  
"Awww!" Sylphiel gushed. She reached out and picked the baby up. Baby Lina blinked   
at her.  
  
  
  
(Sylphiel! Listen to me!) Lina cried frantically, staring up at the woman. (You have to   
find Xellos! Get him to turn me back!) Sylphiel smiled. (Sylphiel?! Are you even listening to   
me?!)  
  
"Ga goo goo goo!" Sylphiel replied in baby talk.  
  
(………Oh, this is really going to hurt…)  
  
Next to them, Zelgadis reached down and picked up a half-eaten apple.  
  
(Don't eat that!) Lina cried.  
  
"Oh! Poor thing! Don't cry!" Sylphiel gushed, hugging Lina to her breast. "It's okay!"  
  
(….Um…Am I not speaking plainly enough for you?) she asked.  
  
Zelgadis was examining the apple. He looked over at baby Lina and nodded, making the   
connection.  
  
"Zelgadis dear?" Sylphiel asked.  
  
"Where did you get this apple?" he asked the baby.  
  
(XELLOS! THAT RAT SON OF A BITCH! WHEN I GET MY….)  
  
Apparently, this tirade somehow translated into a crying fit, and Sylphiel hugged her again.   
"It's okay….Zelgadis dear, I think you scared her."  
  
(He didn't scare me! He asked me a question! And I'm trying to tell you to get Xellos   
and…)  
  
Sylphiel clucked maternally and rocked Lina. "Oh, what do you want, little Lina chan?"  
  
(What do I want? WHAT DO I WANT?! I WANT XELLOS' GRINNING HEAD ON   
THE END OF A SPEAR! THAT'S WHAT I WANT!)  
  
"She's getting louder," Zelgadis noted. "Maybe she's sick…hungry?"  
  
Sylphiel held her up and examined her. "Hmmm…We're going to need milk for her."  
  
"I don't suppose you've ever seen anything like this before?" Zelgadis asked. She blinked   
at him. "Someone suddenly aging backwards, I mean."  
  
She shook her head. "No." She looked over Lina again. "It's times like this I wish Mister   
Xellos was still around. I'm sure he'd have some idea…"  
  
Lina fumed. She suddenly stopped crying and concentrated as much rage as she had in her   
tiny little body…  
  
  
  
"Look! Zelgadis dear! I think she's trying to say something!"  
  
Zelgadis bent over Sylphiel's shoulder and strained to listen.  
  
Baby Lina gurgled for a moment, then words began to form…  
  
"Gurrr….Dagnes byon twylibe…Crimzon byon blub dat flos…"  
  
Zelgadis and Sylphiel looked to one another, their eyes wide. As one, they jumped up and   
ran out the door. They dived behind a fallen tree in front of the cabin and braced themselves…  
  
A small ball of fire shot out through the ceiling, hung in the air for a moment, then detonated   
with a loud "POP!"  
  
Zelgadis and Sylphiel peeked over the tree and blinked. Sylphiel clasped her hands   
together. "Aww! How adorable! A baby-sized Dragon Slave!"  
  
  
  
Zelgadis poked his head around the corner and peered into the kitchen. He could hear light   
sounds of breathing, but nothing that sounded like a spell. He walked in, looked down at Lina, and   
shook his head.  
  
Sylphiel appeared next to him a moment later. "Poor thing," she cooed, kneeling next to   
baby Lina, who was snoring quietly in the folds of her own cape. "She's all tuckered out." She   
reached down and picked up the baby, wrapping her in the black and crimson cape.   
  
Lina continued to snore and drool on Sylphiel's blouse.  
  
"Zelgadis dear, what are we going to do?" she asked him seriously.  
  
  
  
"Is that so?"  
  
The goblin, kneeling before his lord and master nodded quickly. "Yes, Milord! Humans!   
In the forest!"  
  
Jareth, King of the Goblins…in this part of the world anyway…smiled. He rose from his   
throne and took a few steps, tossing his poofy, blonde hair behind him. "So humans have invaded   
into my realm again, have they? We'll have to teach them a lesson."  
  
"LESSON! LESSON!" his goblins echoed.  
  
"Go and find out more about these humans. I want to know their Achilles Heel…"  
  
The goblins blinked and scratched their heads.  
  
"Their soft underbelly," Jareth elaborated.  
  
The goblins looked to each other and shrugged.  
  
Jareth sighed. "Their weaknesses."  
  
"WEAKNESSES! WEAKNESSES!" With this new battlecry, the goblins rushed out of   
the throne room, leaving Jareth wondering why the Gods made him a goblin…  
  
  
  
Zelgadis continued to mash the ingredients with a wooden spoon, making sure the mixture   
would be soft enough for Lina chan to safely eat. It hadn't taken him long to find the proper   
ingredients. They were in a forest, after all. He lifted the spoon and examined the dark purple   
mash critically. He nodded to himself.  
  
He turned to Lina chan, who was being held in Sylphiel's lap. "Okay, Lina chan,"   
Zelgadis said in his least malicious tone of voice. "Here comes the dragooooon….into the   
caaaave…" He lifted the spoon to the baby's lips.  
  
(Hey! What the hell is that crap!?) Lina turned her head from side to side and sealed her   
lips shut. (I make it a point to only eat stuff I know for a fact is probably actually food!)  
  
"Come on, Lina chan," Sylphiel cooed. "Eat the num nums Uncle Zelgadis dear made for   
you."  
  
(Jeez!) Lina thought, (This would be so much easier to deal with if she'd stop talking like   
that!) She turned her face away again.  
  
"Zelgadis dear, what is that, anyway?" Sylphiel asked.  
  
The chimera continued to try to maneuver the spoon into the cranky infant's mouth. "It's an   
old mixture I learned about growing up. Some berries, some honey, and some mashed roots for   
texture."  
  
"Where did you learn to make something like that?" the shrine maiden asked.  
  
Zelgadis growled softly. Lina chan was still being difficult. "My mother raised my sister   
and I alone. Growing up, we didn't have much. We had to make do. I used to watch her make this   
for my sister when she was…well…Lina's age."  
  
"I see. What did your sister think of it?"  
  
"She found it absolutely disgusting," Zelgadis told her without missing a beat. "But it kept   
her belly full."  
  
Lina, hearing this and understanding it, began to cry.  
  
(I am NOT eating that!)  
  
Unfortunately, while she was screaming this, Zelgadis managed to get the spoon in her   
mouth. Taken by surprise, Lina blinked and swallowed.  
  
"There!" Sylphiel cheered. "See? It's not so bad."  
  
(Well…It wasn't *that* bad…) Lina agreed. And she *was* hungry. She sat still and let   
Zelgadis feed her another spoonful.   
  
"Good Lina chan!" Sylphiel cooed.  
  
(Yeah, yeah…whatever…) Lina replied. She chewed up another spoonful and   
swallowed. As she ate, she had time to think. Xellos must have done this to her for a reason. If   
she knew what that reason was, perhaps she could get this whole nightmare over with.   
  
She swallowed another bit of mash and looked up at Zelgadis and Sylphiel. (They do   
make a cute couple…I guess…) She stopped and blinked as she felt something warm   
downstairs…  
  
(Oh my god….) She whimpered.  
  
Sylphiel lifted her up. "I think someone needs to be changed," she remarked.  
  
(God, this is so embarrassing…) Lina chan sniffled and began to cry.   
  
"It's okay, Lina chan," Sylphiel cooed. She went in search of one of the make-shift   
diapers they had made out of Amelia's shirts. She found one and set Lina down on the table. The   
shrine maiden began to change her.  
  
(I am never going to hear the end of this,) Lina weeped.  
  
  
  
Sylphiel smiled and hummed happily as she changed the baby. Sure, Lina chan could be   
cranky and loud, but the shrine maiden was thoroughly enjoying herself. She had always dreamed   
of being a mother and taking care of a baby daughter.   
  
And Zelgadis. Zelgadis was turning out to be a wonderful make-shift father. A part of her   
had expected him to lose his temper by now or give up and leave taking care of Lina chan solely to   
her, but the chimera had done neither. Yes, Lina chan was testing his patience a bit, but she had   
*always* done that…  
  
She pinned the diaper on and smiled down at Lina chan. "There! All dry!"  
  
Yes, Zelgadis would make an excellent father. Well, that was *one* question answered.  
  
She paused. Her eyes went wide.  
  
"A question answered," she whispered.  
  
"Sylphiel? Is something wrong?" Zelgadis asked.  
  
She turned to him. "Xellos did this," she stated.  
  
(Thank you!) Lina cried. (Finally! Someone manages to connect the dots!)  
  
"He was here earlier," Sylphiel went on.  
  
(That's right! He was! You go, Sylphiel!)  
  
"I talked to him."  
  
(That's…..YOU WHAT?!)  
  
Zelgadis only blinked. "Why didn't you mention this before?"  
  
"It didn't seem to be connected," she told him. "He told me that he owed me one for Zarak   
Tor and that he'd answer any question for me. Then he just touched my head and disappeared."  
  
"What was the question?" he asked.  
  
Sylphiel turned away and cleared her throat nervously.  
  
(Sylphiel, what the hell did you do to me?) Lina cried angrily.  
  
"I…I wanted to know…what kind of parent you'd be…"  
  
The chimera stared at her in shock. So did Lina chan.  
  
"I…suppose this is his roundabout way of telling me." She blushed and looked   
embarrassed.  
  
Zelgadis sighed. "I should have guessed he'd be the one to do something like this."  
  
(Are you telling me…) Lina fumed, (That this whole embarrassing mess…is some kind of   
sick…SOCIAL EXPERIMENT?!)  
  
"Deegu vold!"   
  
Sylphiel jumped as a small spark of electricity from Lina's finger struck her arm. "Ow!   
Bad Lina chan!"  
  
"Well," Zelgadis noted, "Now we know who's behind it, but I'm not sure what we can do   
about it. After all, we've never been able to *make* Xellos do anything he doesn't want to do."  
  
"You mean Miss Lina might have to stay a baby forever!?" Sylphiel asked.  
  
(WHAT?!)  
  
"No…"  
  
(Oh, thank god…)  
  
"Just until she grows up."  
  
"FWARE ARRA!" A short bolt of fire about half the length of a match stick shot from Lina   
chan's hand, flew about a foot, and crashed to the floor. Sylphiel stepped on it and made sure it   
was out.  
  
"Someone's craaaaan-kyyyy," the shrine maiden sang. She picked up Lina chan and   
started carrying her upstairs. "I think you need a nap."  
  
(No! I don't need a nap! I need a really big stick to beat 'Uncle Zelgadis dear' to death   
with! Put me down, Sylphiel! PUT ME DOWN! PUT ME DOWN! PUT ME DOWN!)  
  
"She sure is loud," Zelgadis noted, following them up the stairs.  
  
(YOU HAVEN'T SEEN LOUD YET, BUDDY! JUST WAIT UNTIL I'M OLD ENOUGH   
TO BLAST YOU *AND* XELLOS!)  
  
"Shhhhhh," Sylphiel cooed as she entered the bedroom. She put Lina chan in the center of   
the bed and wrapped her in a blanket. "You just need some sleepy bye time."  
  
(STOP TALKING LIKE THAT!!!)  
  
"Rock a-bye baby, in the tree top…"  
  
Lina tried to channel enough power for another spell, but the last two had worn her out.   
Between that, the comfortable bed she was lying on, and the soothing sound of Sylphiel's voice,   
she was inexorably pulled into the realm of sleep.  
  
(Xellos,) she thought as she drifted, (I'm…going to…kill……you….)  
  
  
  
Sylphiel giggled quietly and tucked the baby in. "She looks so peaceful when she sleeps,"   
she remarked. She stood up and walked to the door where Zelgadis was waiting for her. "Isn't   
she adorable?" she whispered.  
  
"Oh, yeah, I want ten just like her," Zelgadis remarked, turning and starting down the hall.   
Sylphiel followed.   
  
"Well…I admit she's a little…boisterous." Some of her earlier fears began to creep back   
to her. "But I think you're doing a wonderful job, Zelgadis dear."  
  
"It's still just a temporary thing," he told her. "Until I figure out a way to get Xellos to   
turn her back."  
  
"But you seem to know something about child care," she argued.  
  
"I know a few tricks. That's all." He entered another room and sat down on the bed.   
  
There was obviously something bothering him. She could see it all over his face.   
"Zelgadis dear, what is it?"  
  
"It's nothing," he grumbled.   
  
"Very well…Mister Zelgadis."  
  
He looked up at her and blinked in surprise.  
  
She shrugged and turned away. "If you're going to shut me out and go back to isolating   
yourself every time something bothers you, then there's no point in me calling you 'dear' now is   
there?" she asked painfully.  
  
He took a breath. "I was thinking about her."  
  
Sylphiel turned back to him. "Miss Lina?"  
  
Zelgadis shook his head. "Mother."  
  
  
  
The goblins looked into the room and saw the baby sleeping soundly on the bed. "Looky   
looky!" one hissed.   
  
The other hissed back in thought. "Errrr….Bad idea. Remember what happened *LAST*   
time we took a baby?"  
  
"Oh, what are the odds of that happening *TWICE*?"  
  
"Good point. We take the baby."  
  
"Doesn't the mother have to say the words?" another goblin asked.  
  
"That was last time. It was different. This isn't a favor, for Jareth's sake; it's a mission to   
find the human's Axel Ankle, or whatever it was."  
  
"But you can't just take a baby without someone saying the words!" another protested.   
"It's simply not goblin-like!"  
  
"Oh fine!" the first one bit back. He cleared his throat. "I wish the goblins would come   
and take you away right now. There. *I* said it."  
  
"………..Works for me."  
  
"Me too."  
  
"I'll get the window."  
  
  
  
"You must miss them terribly," Sylphiel whispered.  
  
"I can still remember how she looked the last time I saw her," Zelgadis told the priestess.   
"I told her I was going into the woods to 'train.' She told me to be back in time for dinner." He   
paused for a second. "I never saw her again."  
  
"She must be a very nice woman," Sylphiel told him.  
  
"She was…is….was…" He stood up and growled. "I don't even know if she's still   
alive."  
  
"Then go find out!" she told him. He turned to face her. "Zelgadis dear…There's a   
chance for you to…to…talk to her…to touch her again… Do you have any idea how precious that   
is?!" Zelgadis was suddenly reminded about the fate of Sylphiel's own parents, and that she   
couldn't do for herself what she was suggesting Zelgadis do now. "Don't you want to?"  
  
"How can I like this?" he asked.  
  
"Zelgadis dear! She's your *mother*! She won't care!" He shook his head and turned   
away. "What if you never find your cure!?" she asked, raising the possibility she *knew* haunted   
him. He didn't answer. "Or what if you find your cure too late?" she asked more softly.  
  
"I still can't," he whispered. "What do I say to her? 'Hi, Mom, I'm back. Look at the   
things I've done with my life. Thug, thief, killer….monster. Aren't you just proud?'"  
  
"How can you say that?! How many times have you helped Miss Lina to literally save this   
world?! Whatever you've done in the past under Rezo isn't important! The fact that you regret   
those things says more about you than your face!"  
  
"Perhaps I should jus…"  
  
It was at that moment that they heard Lina start to cry.  
  
Not just cry.  
  
Scream.  
  
"Lina chan!" Sylphiel cried and rushed out the door and down the hall. Every horrible   
scenario in the world leapt into her head. Lina chan rolling off the bed and falling. Lina chan   
swallowing a button. Lina chan being attacked by a rat or snake…  
  
Somehow, though, she missed 'Lina chan being kidnapped by goblins…'  
  
She rushed into Lina's room and found the bed empty. Her eyes darted to the window and   
found it open. A goblin sat on the windowsill. He laughed at her and jumped out.  
  
The shrine maiden rushed to the window and looked down. "LINA CHAN!" She could   
hear Lina crying. By now Zelgadis had joined her. "Zelgadis dear! Goblins! I…"  
  
He pulled her back and pointed at the window. "BRAM BLAZER!" The wall exploded   
outward, leaving a gaping hole big enough for them to fly through. "RAYWING!" The chimera   
zipped out the window and into the forest after the goblin kidnappers. He heard Sylphiel cast her   
own Raywing and follow him.   
  
(I really hate goblins,) he thought to himself. It wasn't unlike them to steal children. It was   
said that that was how little goblins were made. He also knew that if they lost them now, the odds   
of finding Lina again before she could be turned into one of them was close to zero.  
  
And the last thing he wanted to have to worry about was a goblin that could cast the Giga   
Slave running around…  
  
  
  
Sylphiel squeaked and barely avoided striking a tree branch. She was flying just behind   
Zelgadis now, only a few feet off the ground. He seemed to be following their trail even as they   
flew. Trusting his instincts, she followed his lead.  
  
That is until he stopped suddenly without warning.  
  
She shrieked and slammed into him, knocking them both to the ground. She rubbed her   
shoulder and stood up. Striking Zelgadis dear was like ramming a boulder.  
  
He was already back on his feet before she was, kneeling over a set of tracks. "They end   
here," he noted.   
  
"You mean they disappeared?! I don't understand! How can they move so fast?!"  
  
"It's one of their annoying little tricks," Zelgadis growled. "You'd be amazed by how fast   
they can go. But they don't just disappear into thin air, either," he muttered. He stood up and held   
his arms out. "DIEM WIN!"   
  
A blast of wind exploded from his arms, blowing away leaves, branches, dirt, and other   
debris. A second later, a trap door that had been buried beneath the leaves and undergrowth was   
blown open.  
  
The chimera smiled dangerously and drew his sword. "Time to pick up Lina chan from   
day care," he said. He knelt over the trap door, Sylphiel joining him there. "LIGHTING!" A ball   
of light formed in his hand. He dropped it down the hole and watched as it hit the ground only one   
or two meters down.   
  
"Lower me down," Sylphiel told him, offering him her hands. Zelgadis nodded and put his   
sword down. Taking her arms, he lowered her feet first into the cave. The shrine maiden felt her   
feet touch the ground and turned. Zelgadis' lighting spell was still working. She gasped at what   
she saw.  
  
The cave led into a larger cavern. A brick wall blocked the entire way forward except for   
a small gate in the center. It looked ancient.  
  
Zelgadis landed nimbly right next to her and drew his sword again.   
  
"Zelgadis dear…What is this place?"  
  
The chimera set his jaw and growled. He knew what it was…  
  
  
  
"What is this?" Jareth asked, holding baby Lina chan up and arching an eyebrow. "I ask   
you to find the humans' weak point and you bring me a baby?"  
  
The goblin before him shrugged. "It worked last time."  
  
"Ugh, I don't even want to *think* about last time," Jareth told him, turning away. "It's an   
embarrassment."  
  
"Uh…Milord, if you don't like her, we could go bring her back or something," another   
goblin suggested. "Maybe trade her in for gold!"  
  
"Yeah!" other goblins threw in.  
  
"No, we're not going to trade her in for gold," Jareth sighed in annoyance. Lina chan   
looked from one side to the other, as if looking for an escape route. "Well, little one," Jareth said   
with a smile, rocking the baby in his arms. "You're a cute one, aren't you?"  
  
(Good of you to notice, scumbag,) Lina retorted.  
  
"And powerful," the Goblin King muttered. He looked Lina chan over again, examining   
her in detail. "If I didn't know better…I'd say you were a sorceress. You certainly feel like   
one…"  
  
"Deegu vvold…"  
  
"Ow!" Jareth cried, pulling one hand away. He looked at the baby with a renewed sense   
of respect and smiled. "Perhaps you boys aren't as stupid as I gave you credit for," he remarked   
to the goblins.  
  
"Thanks boss!" their leader replied happily.  
  
"Milord! Milord!" One goblin came running up the steps and into the throne room. "The   
parents…" he panted, out of breath. "They're at the front gate!"  
  
"Oh, bother!" Jareth bit out. "Are we going to have to go through this again? Very well,"   
he said lazily. He produced a crystal sphere from out of nowhere and stared into it. He could   
make out two figures. One of them was a Mazoku of some sort, and the other was a woman…a   
very pretty woman…  
  
He shook his head. No way he was going to sucker himself into that old song and dance   
again. He took a breath and addressed them…  
  
  
  
"You'd might as well turn back."  
  
Sylphiel gasped and turned to find a man's face hanging in a small cloud next to them. He   
had hawk-like features and blonde, poofy hair that seemed to go out in all directions.   
  
"I'm keeping this little delight with me."  
  
Zelgadis stepped forward. "You're the leader." It wasn't a question.  
  
"I am King Jareth. I rule this forest."  
  
Zelgadis nodded. "Thank you. Now I know who to kill." He started back towards the   
gate.   
  
Jareth smiled. "Let's be sporting about this. Granted, my new labyrinth isn't quite as   
grand as the old one, but if you can make it to the center inside say…oh…six hours. I'll give you   
back your little bundle of joy."  
  
"What if we don't make it in six hours?" Sylphiel asked fearfully.  
  
The Goblin King's smile widened. "Then she stays with me and becomes a part of my   
family." She heard Lina start to cry in the background.  
  
"Oh! There there, Lina chan! We're coming!" Sylphiel shouted.  
  
Jareth laughed and disappeared. The gate doors swung open. Zelgadis walked in without   
pausing. Sylphiel followed him. They immediately met with a long wall.  
  
"Six hours," Sylphiel began to fret. "Oh, I've never been good with mazes." Zelgadis   
placed his hand on the wall and nodded. "Oh! I know! I can use my scepter to find the right path!   
That should cut down on time!" Zelgadis took a step back and gently moved Sylphiel aside as she   
dug in her robes in search for her scepter. "I know I placed it here…" The chimera raised his   
hand.  
  
"BRAM BLAZER!"  
  
The wall exploded leaving a six foot wide hole. Zelgadis calmly stepped through.   
Sylphiel blinked in shock.   
  
"BRAM BLAZER!"  
  
Another explosion. Sylphiel sighed and followed after the chimera.  
  
  
  
*Ka-BOOM!!!*  
  
The goblin looking out the throne room window towards the entrance of the labyrinth   
watched as another plume of smoke and dust rose from a far off explosion, this one closer than the   
last four.  
  
"Milord?"  
  
"Not now, Graffort," Jareth chastised him, busy bouncing Lina chan on his knee.  
  
*Ka-BOOM!*  
  
"But…um…Milord?"  
  
"He is so annoying, isn't he?" Jareth asked Lina chan.  
  
(Oh yeah, compared to him you're nothing…)  
  
*Ka-BOOM!*  
  
"Awww…You look bored, little one," Jareth commented.  
  
(Who? Me? No, I'm totally absorbed in the witty goblin repartee.)  
  
Jareth smiled. Music started to play from somewhere…  
  
(No…No, he wouldn't…)  
  
He grabbed a goblin. "You remind me of the babe!"  
  
"What babe?!"  
  
"The babe with the power!"  
  
"What power?!"  
  
"The power of voodoo!"  
  
"Who do?!"  
  
"You do!"  
  
"Do what?!"  
  
"Remind me of the babe!"  
  
(DEAR CEPHEID, NO! THEY'RE DOING A NUMBER!!) Lina began to cry at the top   
of her lungs. (ZEL! SYLPHIEL! GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!!!!!)  
  
  
  
Two goblins stood guard at the gate of Jareth's palace.   
  
*Ka-BOOM!*  
  
"Is it just me or are those construction sounds getting closer?" one guard asked the other.  
  
"Oh no, 'tis your imagination," the other chastised him.  
  
"BRAM BLAZER!"  
  
*KA-BOOOOM!!!*  
  
The wall in front of the two disintegrated in a explosion of dust and smoke. When the   
smoke cleared, a chimera was standing just inside the hole, his arms crossed over his chest. He   
sneered down at the guards.  
  
"And what about that?!" the first guard asked, pointing his halberd in Zelgadis' direction.   
"Is that chimera just a figment of me imagination as well?!"  
  
The second guard huffed. "'Tis not a chimera, you twit. *That* is a golem!"  
  
"Golem?! 'Tis obviously a Mazoku!" the first guard retorted.  
  
"Ugh!" the second said, shaking his head. He turned and looked up at the second story   
window of the palace. "Ey! I say EY! Graffort!" It was hard to hear with the sound of music   
coming from the throne room.  
  
"What?!" the goblin shouted back.  
  
The first guard pointed at Zelgadis again. "Is that a chimera, a golem, or a Mazoku?!"  
  
"You dumb buffoons!" Graffort shouted back. "'Tis obviously a little of all three!"  
  
"So he be a chimera then!?"  
  
"Well DUH!"  
  
"See? I told you!" the first guard grinned triumphantly at the second. Their faces both fell   
at the same time. They turned back to Zelgadis.   
  
"GREY BOMB!" the chimera yelled, striking the ground with his hand. The earth under   
the guards' feet exploded.  
  
  
  
Graffort watched as the two gate guards flew into the air past his window, screaming as   
loud as they could.  
  
"Um…Milord?"  
  
Jareth was still singing, tossing Lina chan into the air. "DANCE, MAGIC! DANCE!   
DANCE, MAGIC DANCE!"   
  
(KILL ME!! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! KILL ME!) Lina screamed as loud as she could   
as Jareth tossed her back into the air.   
  
"MILORD!!!"  
  
Jareth caught Lina and turned angrily to the goblin. "Graffort! How many times have I told   
you!? Never ever EVER interrupt me when I'm doing a number!"  
  
"Sorry, Milord, but I thought you might like to know that the palace is under attack."  
  
"Attack!?" Jareth asked, incredulous. "What about my guards?!"  
  
The two gate guards screamed as they fell back down past the window.   
  
"Indisposed, Milord," Graffort told him.  
  
"Sound the alarm!" Jareth cried. All around him, goblins ran about, mobilizing for battle.  
  
  
  
"Yazee?" the first guard asked, dazed and sitting on the ground, his back to his partner. "I   
told ye it was a chimera…"  
  
"Bah!" the second guard, equally dazed, "I still say 'tis a golem…"  
  
"Well it makes little difference now, doesn't it?"  
  
Zelgadis shook his head at them. "Pheh!"  
  
Sylphiel just blinked at the two. "These are goblins?"  
  
"Yes," he told her.   
  
"Somehow…I was expecting something…well…scarier…"  
  
"Ey, now! We're plenty scary!" the first guard argued.  
  
"DILL BRAND!"  
  
The guards went screaming into the sky again. Zelgadis started into the castle, Sylphiel   
following just behind. A few seconds later, the two guards hit the ground again, their armor and   
clothing scorched and smoking.  
  
"Th…there…ya see?" the second guard asked. "I…I ain't neva seen…a chimera…do   
that…"  
  
"Yeah…Must be a Mazoku…"  
  
  
  
Zelgadis threw open the doors to the palace and stepped inside. A dozen goblins holding   
swords stood in the lobby.   
  
"Halt right there, golem!" their leader called out.  
  
"Mazoku!" the two guards outside yelled, correcting him.  
  
"Whatever! You shall not pass!"  
  
"BOMB SPRID!" A ball of fire leapt from Zelgadis' hands and landed in the middle of the   
group, exploding and throwing the goblins against the walls.  
  
Zelgadis saw a staircase to his right and started up.   
  
"Please, Zelgadis dear! Let's hurry!" Sylphiel begged, rushing up the stairs.  
  
"Sylphiel! Wait!" he called after her.  
  
The shrine maiden reached the top of the stairs and threw the door open.   
  
Open space met her. She stumbled forward and would have fallen into a seemingly   
bottomless pit if Zelgadis hadn't grabbed ahold of her cape and pulled her back.   
  
"EEEP!"  
  
Zelgadis growled. "I *HATE* goblins! They're constantly pulling this mind warp   
nonsense!"   
  
Stone platforms floated up from below, elevators connecting them at different levels. A lift   
car stopped in front of them and chimed as the door opened. The chimera sighed and stepped   
inside. There were two buttons. Zelgadis pushed one at random, and the lift began to move   
upwards.  
  
The lift car chimed and opened onto a stone platform. They stepped out and looked   
around. There were two more lift cars; one to the right the other to the left.   
  
"Welcome!"  
  
They looked up and found Jareth standing on another platform a hundred meters away. He   
held baby Lina chan in his arms and smiled down at them.   
  
"Fifteen minutes from start to finish," he remarked, his eye twitching slightly. "A new   
record…"  
  
"Give Lina chan back!" Sylphiel cried.   
  
"Come and get her," Jareth said with a shrug. He held Lina by the diaper over the chasm.   
The redheaded child began crying.  
  
"Stop it!" Sylphiel screamed.  
  
"Flare…"  
  
"I wouldn't, chimera," Jareth told him. "Or you might hit little Lina chan…"  
  
Zelgadis growled and tossed the half-formed fire bolt aside to extinguish harmlessly.  
  
"If you want the baby, just come and get her. Oh, and if I see a levitation spell, I'll just   
drop her. Understand?"  
  
"You…You heartless slime!" Sylphiel shouted up at him.   
  
Jareth laughed.  
  
Sylphiel started for one elevator. Zelgadis took the other. The shrine maiden hit the button   
and waited as the lift rose. The bell chimed, and she got out. She was on another stone slab. She   
looked up and found Jareth and Lina…  
  
Looking up at her.  
  
Somehow she had gotten above them and upside down. She heard another chime and   
turned. Zelgadis was on another slab not far away, but like her, he was oriented in another   
direction. He saw the predicament and ran for another elevator. Sylphiel did the same.   
  
"Well, little one," Jareth remarked, rocking Lina. "You certainly are popular. Do you   
think you're mommy and daddy will rescue you? Hmm?"  
  
He listened as Lina gurgled something in baby talk. "Can you say Jareth? Come on. Ja-  
reth…"  
  
He listened to what Lina was gurgling…  
  
"Bareed in da fow of dyme…Un dye grape mame…"  
  
  
  
*DING!*  
  
Sylphiel ran out as soon as the doors parted. She was on a new platform only fifty feet or   
so from Jareth's. She looked up and saw Zelgadis almost two hundred meters away and oriented   
upside down.   
  
She looked over at Jareth. "Please!" she cried. "Give her back!"  
  
"Oh, I don't think so," Jareth smiled. "Isn't that right, Little Lina chan?" he cooed. Lina   
pointed her arms up at him. "You see? She adores me! Don't you Lina chan?"  
  
Lina pointed up at him.  
  
"There! She even recognizes me!"  
  
"DRAGUME SAVE!"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
A ball of fire leapt from baby Lina's hand and struck Jareth's face, exploding with a loud   
*POP!* The Goblin King screamed, his hands reflexively going to his face, and he stumbled   
backwards, dropping Lina chan!  
  
Lina screamed as she fell off the platform.  
  
"LINA CHAN!" Sylphiel screamed. She dived off the platform after the child.   
"LEVITATION!"  
  
"SYLPHIEL!" Zelgadis cried.  
  
The shrine maiden continued dropping after the baby. With the levitation spell she could   
easily control her rate of descent. Baby Lina didn't have this ability. She saw a flash of red hair.   
She was getting closer. She reached out with her hand.   
  
Lina cried as she fell. Sylphiel exerted the spell as far as she could, inching ever closer.   
She wasn't sure how deep this chasm was, but she knew she had to grab Lina chan soon.  
  
She stretched out with her hand as far as she could. She feel the fabric of Lina's diaper   
against her fingertips. She was almost there…  
  
"Just a little farther," she begged Cepheid.  
  
Her fingers curled around the edge of Lina's diaper.   
  
"Gotcha!" She put on the brakes and reoriented herself so that her feet pointed downward.   
She stopped in mid air and hovered. Sighing in relief, she looked down and gulped.  
  
A stone slab floated below them, only a few meters away.   
  
She closed her eyes and hugged Lina chan to her. The baby was still crying. "There there,   
Lina chan," Sylphiel whispered.  
  
Lina, too scared to even think straight, clung to the priestess as she would her own mother.   
  
(This has been…the *WORST* day…in my entire life…)  
  
  
  
Jareth, blinded by Lina chan's spell, blinked rapidly, trying to regain his sight. He felt   
someone place a hand on his shoulder.   
  
"This is going to hurt, isn't it?" he asked, pretty sure of who had him.  
  
Zelgadis smiled as Sylphiel flew up onto the slab, Lina in her arms.   
  
"You bet," he assured Jareth.   
  
The Goblin King swallowed nervously. "What are you going to do to me?"  
  
"Me?" Zelgadis asked. "Nothing." He reached out and took Lina from Sylphiel. "But I   
believe she would like a word with you."  
  
"She?"  
  
Sylphiel reached back, balled her hand into a fist, and…  
  
Zelgadis rocked baby Lina in his arms not far away and listened to the racket Sylphiel was   
causing. "Aunt Sylphiel and Mister Jareth are having a grown up talk," he cooed in baby speech at   
Lina. "Yes they are. Yes they are."  
  
Lina didn't care. After the fall, the Mini Dragon Slave, and the rocking, she was asleep in   
a few minutes.  
  
  
  
"Well, I have Jareth tied to a tree out back," Zelgadis said as he entered the bedroom. "I   
placed an enchantment on it so that none of the goblins that got away will be able to cut the rope."  
  
He removed his cape and leaned against the doorframe. All he really wanted was to sleep   
for a few thousand years.  
  
His stomach growled.  
  
And a meal.   
  
"Sylphiel, I've been thinking," he said. "About what you said earlier. I think I'm going to   
do it. Lina said we'd be heading towards Atlas City next. As soon as this whole baby thing is   
done and over with, I'm going to go see her. I want you to come with me, Sy…" He broke off and   
blinked.  
  
Sylphiel was curled up on the bed asleep. Sleeping in her arms, close to her chest, baby   
Lina snored louder than most babies would.  
  
Zelgadis chuckled under his breath. He carefully rested himself on the bed next to them   
and took Sylphiel's hand, closing his eyes and letting sleep take him. Baby Lina slept soundly   
between them.  
  
  
  
Amelia dropped the bag she had been holding as she took the scene in. Standing next to   
her, shocked out of his mind, Gourry could just blink. It had taken them all day, but they were   
finally back, and this is what met them?  
  
"This," Amelia began shakily. "This is by far…the weirdest thing…I've ever seen…in   
my entire life…"  
  
Gourry couldn't take his eyes off it. "Weirder than that time you…"  
  
"Oh yeah," Amelia said with a nod.  
  
"What about when Lin…"  
  
"Beats that too," she said assuredly.  
  
"Any idea what it's supposed to mean?" Gourry asked her.  
  
"Not a clue," Amelia confessed.  
  
Sleeping on the bed in front of them was Zelgadis and Sylphiel…with a full grown Lina   
Inverse sleeping between them…wearing nothing but a diaper.  
  
"Think we should wake them up?" Gourry asked.  
  
"Do *YOU* want to be here when she wakes up?" Amelia asked him.  
  
"Good point." The two collected their bags and walked back down the stairs.  
  
"This never happened," Amelia told him. The swordsman nodded.  
  
Behind them, Lina rolled onto her back and opened her eyes. She blinked quickly and   
looked down.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!"  
  
  
  
"Well, I've done my good deed for the millenium, wouldn't you agree?" Xellos asked,   
sitting comfortably on the cottage roof.  
  
His companion didn't move. "That's a secret," the plushie told him.  
  
"Oh, I do agree such things should be kept quiet. Wouldn't you say so?"   
  
"That's a secret."  
  
Xellos laughed. "Keeping your counsel to yourself. Always a wise move, my dear   
Xellos! I wonder what our dear White Serpent is up to?"  
  
"That's a secret."  
  
"Well, I suppose she does have a right to privacy." He smiled as he heard Lina scream his   
name and a few swears. "Hmmm…I wonder if there's anything bothering Lina chan?"  
  
"That's a secret."  
  
Xellos grinned at the plushie. "Oh, it's no secret." He looked out at the rising moon and   
bit into an apple. "No secret at all…"  
  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
Davner  
Doscher009@hotmail.com  



	2. Not Quite Heroes... Naga's New Gang!

Slayers is the property of Kadokawa Shoten.  
  
XELLOS: Ah! Welcome all! Normally, Miss Lina would handle the intro, however…eh   
heh heh…She's being changed…  
  
LINA: I'm still going to kill you for this, Xellos!  
  
XELLOS: Anyway, I, Xellos, the Mysterious Priest, have suddenly found myself…er…on   
sabbatical…  
  
NAGA: Oh, just say it! You're on the run from your old lady!  
  
XELLOS: Er….enough truth to that, I suppose… Metallium IS rather irked by my inability   
to bring back the Zarak trees…Oh well! You can't keep a good Mazoku down, and to give   
myself something to do for the time being, I've banded together with an old associate of   
Lina's, Naga the White Serpent.  
  
NAGA: Side-Kick of Questionable Worth! Pay the breakfast check, would ya?  
  
XELLOS: Um…eh heh…… Yeah, I know, but YOUR life isn't any better!  
  
  
Faces: After!  
Part 2  
Not Quite Heroes…  
Naga's New Gang!  
  
  
  
  
"FREEZE ARROW!"  
  
"FREEZE ARROW!"  
  
"FREEZE ARROW!"  
  
The guard ducked another icicle bolt and found that in trying to avoid all the   
attacks, he had run in a complete circle.   
  
"FREEZE ARROW!"  
  
He cried out as he felt his legs freeze beneath him and tripped. Looking down, he   
found his legs were blue and encased in ice. The wagon he had been guarding was on fire,   
and the other two guards were dead.   
  
A shadow fell over him, and he looked up into the blue eyes of a dark haired, well-  
endowed woman in a skimpy outfit. Her lips curled back in a cruel smile.  
  
He looked up as two more figures appeared next to her. Then more. Soon, he was   
completely surrounded…  
  
By the same dark haired woman.  
  
They looked down at him and smiled. Throwing their heads back, they let out a   
victory call.  
  
"OOOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!"  
  
  
  
Naga's fist struck the table, causing all twenty three of her breakfast plates to jump.   
"What?! She has a GANG?!"  
  
Sitting across from her at the inn's table, Xellos sipped his tea before nodding   
slowly. "Exactly. Let's see…She has an expert swordsman, a chimera, a busty sorceress,   
a priestess…and then there's me. Deus ex machina!" He grinned.  
  
The scantily clad sorceress thought for a moment, then stood up. "In that case, we   
will have a gang as well!"  
  
"Um…Why?" Xellos asked.  
  
"If I am to rival Lina Inverse, then I must rival her in all things!" Naga cried in   
explanation. "It's obvious now that not having me around to curtail her excesses has given   
her an even bigger ego than she had before!" She shook her head sadly. "If she is not   
stopped, she could destroy the entire world!" An image of Lina with the Earth on the end   
of a fork as she licked her lips hungrily popped into her head.  
  
"Can't have that," Xellos muttered, sipping his tea.  
  
"Therefore! To stop this red menace, I, Naga the White Serpent, shall assemble a   
band of unbeatable heroes to put an end to Lina Inverse's reign of terror!   
OHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!"  
  
"Check please…" Xellos asked a passing waitress.  
  
"Come, Side-Kick of Questionable Worth!" she cried, running for the door.   
"Destiny awaits!"  
  
Xellos sighed. "Yareyare…" In a flash, he disappeared…  
  
Leaving the check unpaid.  
  
  
  
"Let's see," Naga mumbled, looking over her list as they walked down the road.   
"I need a swordsman, a sorceress, and a monster at least…A priestess if possible…and   
whatever the hell a deus ex machina is…"  
  
"Ah, Miss Naga!" Xellos began. "A deus ex machina is a member of your party   
who shows up at just the right time to prevent a calamity."  
  
"Right…I'll underline that twice."  
  
"So where are we going to find these unbeatable heroes?" Xellos asked her.  
  
"Normally, I'd use the want ads…However! This is a very important matter! We   
shall conduct tryouts at the next town!"  
  
Xellos blinked. "Tryouts?"  
  
  
  
"In the name of the Moon…."  
  
"Next!" Naga called out, not even waiting to hear the rest of the speech.  
  
The girl in the fuku sighed and walked off the inn's stage. A furry creature paddled   
up in her place.  
  
"And what are you?" Naga asked, looking over her list.  
  
"I'm an otter," the creature replied.  
  
"And what do you do?"  
  
"I swim around and make cute little human gestures with my hands!"  
  
"……………Next!"  
  
The otter paddled dejectedly away.  
  
"Rather disappointing results, don't you think?" Xellos asked.  
  
"Despair not, Side-Kick!" Naga told him. "Patience is a virtue I must still teach   
you, it seems!"  
  
"Er…right…" Xellos agreed.  
  
The next candidate stepped up onto the stage. "Um…hi…" she said in greeting.  
  
Xellos blinked in shock. "But…"  
  
Naga only smiled. "Hello there. Just a few questions. You are a sorceress,   
correct?"  
  
"Y..yes…" the girl spoke timidly. "I need a job…and well…I don't know where   
else to turn."  
  
"You're not the original." Naga said. It wasn't a question.  
  
"No…" The girls confessed in embarrassment. "I'm a shadow."  
  
Naga began to chuckle under her breath. Thirty seconds later, people outside the   
inn were running in fear of the noise.   
"OOOOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!"  
  
Xellos could only blink in confusion.  
  
"Tell me, dear girl!" Naga started again. "If you join my band of heroes, will you   
swear unswerving loyalty to me, me alone, and do whatever I say!?"  
  
The girl nodded quickly. She looked incredibly nervous.  
  
"Then I accept you into my service in the position of 'Goody Two-Shoes   
Sorceress.'"  
  
"Um…" Xellos began.  
  
The girl's eyes lit up. "You mean…I passed?"  
  
"That's right!" Naga told her.  
  
"Excuse me," the Mazoku tried again.  
  
Up on stage, Shadow Lina, the double of Lina Inverse created by the Dark Mirror,   
began jumping up and down. "I DID IT! I MADE IT! I MADE IT!"  
  
"OOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!"  
  
Xellos shook his head and gave up.  
  
  
  
"Well! I think we should find a restaurant and allow our newest member to buy us   
dinner to celebrate her being accepted into my band of heroes!" Naga announced as they   
left the inn.  
  
"I…I would, Miss Naga, but I have no money at all," Shadow Lina told her sadly.   
  
"Very well! We'll simply deduct the cost of dinner from your first cut of loot!"  
  
"Oh, thank you, Miss Naga!" the copy replied enthusiastically.  
  
"Oh, I'm going to love this," Naga muttered with a grin.  
  
"Halt!"  
  
The three "heroes" stopped and turned to find about a dozen men in uniforms   
holding swords and shields standing there.   
  
"There she is!" one of them cried, pointing at Naga with his sword.  
  
"Ah," Naga sighed, her hands folded over her chest. "My adoring fans…"  
  
"You," their leader growled. "You're under arrest. Charged with multiple counts   
of banditry."  
  
"What nonsense!" Naga cried, furious. "I haven't stolen anything in more than two   
months!"  
  
"Oh please!" Shadow Lina cried, dropping to her knees before the guards. "I   
know Miss Naga has done some awful things in the past…"  
  
"Now wait a second!" the sorceress began in her defense.  
  
"But she's not a bad person!" Shadow Lina went on. "She has a pure heart and   
only wants to protect the innocent! Like bunnies!"  
  
"Enough!" the guard captain yelled. Shadow Lina sniffled. "Naga the White   
Serpent! Either come with us now or prepare yourself for battle!"  
  
Naga arched an eyebrow. "VU VRAIMER!!" The rocks beneath her feet rose out   
of the ground, hoisting her into the air as they reformed into the shape of a shirtless   
gladiator thirty feet tall. She looked down at them. "Okay! I'm prepared for battle now!"  
  
"RUN!!" one of the soldiers in the back yelled. The remaining troops dropped their   
weapons and took off down the road…  
  
All except for one.  
  
The thin man stood before the golem and pointed his sword up at the monstrosity.   
"I will not allow this injustice against mankind to continue!" he announced. "Naga the   
White Serpent! I CHOOSE YOU!"  
  
Off to the side, Xellos and Shadow Lina watched this exchange in   
awe….or…boredom, depending on whether you're talking about Shadow Lina or Xellos…  
  
Naga, however, paused and blinked. "I know that voice…"  
  
"KI-YAH!" the guard yelled, hacking at the golem's stone foot with his sword.   
"YAH! HAH! TAKE THAT! AND THAT!"  
  
The golem sweatdropped.  
  
"WITH MY INVINCIBLE RAZOR BLADE, YOU SHALL BE STOPPED,   
MONSTER!"  
  
Naga sighed. "Jeffrey, is that you?"  
  
The guard paused for a moment. "Hi, Miss Naga!" he said with a wave. "I'm   
sorry. I know we're old comrades and all, but I CANNOT ALLOW YOU TO FLEE   
FROM JUSTICE ANY LONGER!"  
  
"Who's fleeing?" Naga asked. "And why would I?"  
  
"Miss Naga, it pains me to have to arrest you, but your bandit raids must be   
stopped!"  
  
"Hey! I haven't robbed anyone!….lately…" Naga told him. "This must be some   
kind of mistake!"  
  
"You think so?" Jeffrey asked. "I mean, there was only one survivor and he   
described you perfectly!"  
  
"He must be a liar! World's full of them!" Naga told him haughtily.  
  
"Maybe….He must have been lying about the other nine you's too…"  
  
Naga blinked. "Other nine me's?"  
  
"Yeah. He said you and nine women who looked exactly like you attacked their   
wagon full of gold bound for Boralis."  
  
Naga felt a sinking sensation in her stomach. She gave a command, and the golem   
began to disperse beneath her, returning to the earth. "And the reward for my capture?"   
she asked.  
  
Jeffrey posed theatrically. "A member of the royal guard does not expect   
rewards!"  
  
"For me, moron!" Naga growled.  
  
*ka-POW!!*  
  
Naga suddenly found herself under a one ton mallet.  
  
"DID YOU CALL MY JEFFREY A MORON?!" she heard above her.  
  
"I…Itai…"  
  
"Well?!" the voice asked.  
  
"Hi, wandering tourist lady!" Jeffrey greeted her. "Boy! You turn up in some of   
the oddest places!"  
  
"Hi…Josephine…" Naga ground out.  
  
"I have no idea what's going on," Xellos confessed. He blinked. "That's never   
happened to me before…"  
  
Shadow Lina just watched, amazed.  
  
  
  
"You mean you've been framed?!" Jeffrey asked in amazement.  
  
Naga sniffled and dabbed at her eyes with the napkin that came with her dinner.   
"That's right," she sniffed. "A horrible band of copiis have obviously taken up a life of   
crime, and are using me to cover their tracks!" She buried her face in the napkin and began   
to cry in earnest.  
  
"Oh! Miss Naga!" Shadow Lina exclaimed from across the restaurant booth.   
"That's horrible!"  
  
Naga nodded as she cried. "I…I was trying to assemble a band of unbeatable   
heroes to stop their awful reign of terror…" She sniffled again. "But…But now I have the   
Royal Guard after me…"  
  
"You poor woman," Jeffrey breathed sympathetically.  
  
Sitting next to Naga, Xellos could only blink in shock…and just a touch of   
admiration.   
  
The sorceress peeked out from over the napkin and saw the masked face of   
Josephine sitting at a table not far away, straining to listen. She smiled.  
  
"I'm so unfortunate!" Naga wailed.  
  
"This is an injustice of the lowest low!" Jeffrey declared. "Those evil copiis must   
pay for their crimes against the world and against the pure-hearted Miss Naga!"  
  
"I think I'm going to be sick," Xellos mumbled.  
  
Naga clasped her hands in front of her and beamed. "You mean…you'll help me?!"  
  
"I'll do whatever I can to assist you in your fight against evil, Miss Naga," Jeffrey   
said with a heroic smile and a sagely nod. "By my sword, Razor Blade, I swear it."  
  
"Then….Will you join my band of unbeatable heroes?!" Naga asked, pouring the   
sugar on.  
  
Xellos nearly spit up a mouthful of tea.  
  
Jeffrey nodded. "I will!"  
  
Shadow Lina clasped her hands in front of her and gasped in joyful admiration.   
Naga smiled.  
  
"OOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!"  
  
  
  
"Eh…Miss Naga?" Xellos began as they walked down the road towards the next   
town. "While I do understand the world is facing a labor shortage at the moment, I don't   
see how our young Jeffrey counts as an 'unbeatable hero.'"  
  
Naga sniffed. "Once again, you refuse to look beyond the moment, Side-Kick," she   
said condescendingly. Xellos let it slide for the sake of getting an answer. "Jeffrey has…"   
She paused suddenly and looked from side to side fearfully. "Um….Perfectly normal and   
justifiable weaknesses," she finished, cringing. A second passed, and nothing happened,   
so she went on. "But with the acquisition of Jeffrey, we can scratch both 'swordsman' and   
'horrific monster' off our shopping list."  
  
"We can?" the Mazoku asked.  
  
"Indeed, for where ever young Jeffrey goes, a certain tourist lady is always sure to   
follow." She winked.  
  
Xellos sighed and wondered how long he'd have to wait before he could be   
reasonably sure that Metallium would be over him allowing the trees of Zarak Tor to slip   
through his fingers.   
  
A century, maybe?  
  
Not long at all….  
  
  
  
Behind the two leaders of their band, Jeffrey walked proudly, head held high and   
one hand on the hilt of his sword as every warrior should. Walking next to him, Shadow   
Lina kept glancing between him and the ground and back again.   
  
He saw her do this again and turned, smiling at her. "Hi," he said. "My name's   
Jeffrey."  
  
Shadow Lina blushed. "Um…I'm…I'm Lina…."  
  
"Yeah, I know. But you're not the actual, Lina, right?" he asked curiously.  
  
"I'm…I'm a shadow…Like a copii…only I'm her exact opposite."  
  
"Wow!" Jeffrey breathed. "I could sort of tell. I met Miss Lina and Miss Naga   
before, and she's nothing like you are. She was kind of mean, you know?"  
  
Shadow Lina blushed again. "Um…I just wanted to tell you…"  
  
Jeffrey blinked and waited.   
  
Finally, the shadow sorceress turned to him. "I think what you did back in town   
was the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life!" she suddenly cried. She turned away   
again and went back to fidgeting nervously.  
  
Jeffrey smiled. "All in a day's work for a hero like me!" he bragged.  
  
"And…And then…when you heard Miss Naga's horrible story…" she said   
quietly, "The way you…you rushed forward to help her….I…I think that was very brave   
and noble…"  
  
It was Jeffrey's turn to blush. "Thanks," he said.  
  
  
  
"Ugh!" Naga cried, throwing a look back at the two newest members of her band.   
"If Lina were here, she'd kill herself," she muttered.  
  
"And probably commit suicide right afterwards!" Xellos threw in with a smile.  
  
The White Serpent went back to checking her list. "All we need now is a deus ex   
machina and a priestess." She clenched a fist. "Then we can go back, beat those copii   
me's, and claim the reward for myself…er…ourselves! OOOOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!"  
  
"How is it that ten copiis of you were made, anyway?" Xellos asked.  
  
"Hmmph!" Naga replied with a smile, tossing her hair back. "A scientist/artist   
brought them into the world so that my beauty could be shared with the masses."  
  
"And now they're robbing carts," Xellos mused.  
  
"They've obviously gone astray," Naga bit out. "Now, where do I find both a deus   
ex machina AND a priestess? There are probably more troops and bounty hunters on their   
way! If we take too long, one of THEM will get the reward money!"  
  
Xellos thought for a moment and smiled. "I think I know someone."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
He nodded. "Yes…She'll do just nicely, I think."  
  
"A friend of yours?" she asked him.  
  
"Of course! There are none closer in this world than she and I!" the Mazoku   
bragged.  
  
  
  
"FILTHY NAMAGOMIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!" Filia cried, swinging her mace.  
  
Xellos disappeared suddenly, and the mace found only dead air. Shadow Lina   
squeaked and ducked under the bulky weapon. The Mazoku reappeared behind the blonde   
and smiled. "Ah, Miss Filia! It's such a delight to see you again!"  
  
The golden dragon growled. "Miss Lina! Why do you insist on traveling with such   
trash?!" she asked.  
  
"Who? Me?!" Shadow Lina asked. "I just met him!"  
  
Filia blinked. She looked around and found that Lina had shown up on her door not   
only Xellos, but a dark haired woman she'd never seen before, and a tall, lanky man as thin   
as a rail. Where was Gourry, Amelia, and Zelgadis?  
  
She turned back to Xellos. "How did you find me, anyway? I just moved to this   
continent! No one knows I'm here yet!"  
  
Xellos grinned. "Now, now, Filia san. Just because you don't see Mazoku doesn't   
mean we aren't there. Of course we're keeping tabs on little ValGaav. We can't have a   
repeat of what happened last time, with that whole destroy the world thing…unless WE'RE   
doing it, of course. It'd get cliché!"  
  
Filia growled.  
  
"Allow me to introduce myself," the dark woman began. "I am Naga the White   
Serpent!"  
  
"Hi, I'm Jeffrey," the young man added with a wave.  
  
"Jeffrey, please allow the leader of the band to do the negotiating," Naga reminded   
him. "Now then, Miss Filia. Xellos tells me that you're a golden dragon."  
  
"That's right. What about it?"  
  
"Oneechan? Is everything okay?" a fox asked from another doorway, holding an   
egg in his arms.  
  
"Everything's fine, Jiras," Filia assured him.   
  
"My, my, my," Xellos remarked, appearing next to the fox man. Suddenly, the   
foot-long egg was no longer in his hands. Jiras cried out as Xellos disappeared,   
reappearing behind Jeffrey with the egg. "Is this little ValGaav? My, how he's grown!"  
  
Filia went pale. "Give him back, namagomi!" she shrieked.  
  
"Aww! I just wanted to hold him!" Xellos pouted, spinning the egg on the end of   
his finger.  
  
"STOP THAT!!" Filia screamed.  
  
"Oh, all right," Xellos surrendered, giving the egg back to Jiras.  
  
"Er…Anyway," Naga continued. "We'd like to hire you on to join my band of   
unbeatable heroes! Since you would be bringing rare and special talents, you would be   
entitled to twenty percent of all loot gained in our travels."  
  
"You came out here…to pitch a job?" Filia asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Exactly," Naga said with a nod.   
  
Filia started to rub her temples. "Look, I appreciate the offer, however, I have to   
look after little Val, and quite frankly, the thought of traveling with Xellos farther than the   
local cemetery makes me ill."  
  
Xellos smiled and blew her a kiss.  
  
"ARRGH!"  
  
"I see. You need some time to think," Naga told her.  
  
"Actually, I need for you to leave," Filia told her point blank. "And please take   
your scruffy-looking, pompous, egomaniacal Mazoku dog with you."  
  
"Hey!" Xellos replied with a frown. "I am NOT scruffy-looking!" He faced off   
with Filia and smiled. "Very well, Filia…You give me no choice…If you don't agree to   
come with us right now…"  
  
Filia folded her arms over her chest and waited.  
  
Xellos grabbed Shadow Lina and pushed her towards Filia. "Then Shadow Lina   
here is going to cry!"  
  
Naga and Filia both hit the floor.  
  
"Please…Miss Dragon Lady…" Shadow Lina began with a sniffle. "I know it's a   
terrible inconvenience….but…but we really need your help…"  
  
"Get out!"  
  
  
  
The door slammed shut behind them.  
  
"She just needs a little time," Naga said assuredly.  
  
"Oh, indeed. She was starting to waver. I could tell," Xellos agreed. The band   
began to walk down the street.  
  
Shadow Lina sniffled. "I failed Miss Naga," she muttered. "She was counting on   
me to talk Miss Dragon Lady into coming with us, and I let her down." She sniffed again.  
  
"Oh, don't worry," Jeffrey assured her. "After all, Miss Naga and Mister Xellos   
don't look mad or anything."  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Shadow Lina said, smiling a little. "Thanks, Jeffrey."  
  
"Come on. Let's catch up." The two started running down the street after Naga   
and Xellos.  
  
Unknown to them, someone watched them. Standing on the roof of Filia's tea shop,   
a man in simple crimson robes and grey, swept-back hair observed their movements. He   
watched the redhead and the young man run off together and smiled.  
  
"Finally," he breathed. "Lina Inverse." The man took a breath. "Astral Phase," he   
chanted.   
  
A moment later, there was nothing on Filia's roof but birds.  
  
  
  
"Okay, so we'll just have to make do without," Naga announced as the band sat   
around the campfire. The White Serpent sucked down another fish and placed the bones in   
the fire. "Now, there's one last thing we need," she told them.  
  
Xellos, Jeffrey, and Shadow Lina listened closely.  
  
"A name!"  
  
The three of them sweatdropped.   
  
"Now, I have been doing some heavy thinking on the matter, and have come up with   
the perfect name with which to go into battle." Naga stood up and posed theatrically. "We   
are….THE SLAYERS!!!"  
  
"Taken!" Xellos announced from his seat between sips of tea.  
  
Naga hit the ground. She crawled up to Xellos and brushed the hair from her eyes.   
"What?! My perfect, beautiful name!? The one I spent hours coming up with?! Taken?!"  
  
The Mazoku nodded. "Exactly."  
  
The sorceress fainted.  
  
"How about, 'The Flaming Heroes?!'" Jeffrey suggested.  
  
"Yeah!" Shadow Lina cried, clapping in delight.  
  
Naga recovered and went face to face with the man. "THERE WILL BE NO   
FLAMING IN MY BAND OF UNBEATABLE HEROES!!!"  
  
"I like it," Shadow Lina threw in.  
  
"It's the stupidest name I've ever heard in my life!" Naga cried. Her eyes went   
wide. "Oh god…"  
  
Xellos put his tea down and blinked. "Does anyone else hear that whistling?"  
  
The White Serpent sighed. "I do…"  
  
WHAM!!!  
  
Xellos, Jeffrey, and Shadow Lina jumped, startled, as a mallet held by a large   
woman in a mask fell from the sky and smashed Naga into the ground.  
  
"DID YOU CALL MY PRECIOUS JEFFREY'S IDEA STUPID?!"  
  
"Hi, tourist lady!" Jeffrey said happily. "Would you like some dinner?"  
  
The woman was suddenly tip toeing away as fast as she could. "Oh, no, thank you,   
dear! I was just on my way to the theatre when I heard the commotion! Ta ta!"   
  
Then she was gone.  
  
"I wonder where the theatre is?" Shadow Lina asked, blinking in puzzlement.  
  
Naga, by this time, had dug herself out of the hole Josephine's mallet had made and   
was nursing her new headache.  
  
Maybe hiring Jeffrey wasn't such a good idea after all…  
  
  
  
"Terminators?"  
  
"Taken."  
  
"Justice League?"  
  
"Taken," Xellos told her.  
  
"The Wanderers!"  
  
"Taken…"  
  
"Damn!" Naga cursed as they walked. "What cool names AREN'T taken?!"  
  
Xellos thought for a moment. "Light Warriors?"  
  
"Now I KNOW that one's taken…"  
  
Shadow Lina suddenly stopped and looked out before them. There was a town only   
about a mile down the road. She blinked. There was a cloud of dust moving towards the   
town from another direction…  
  
Straining her ears, she could make out a sound…  
  
"oooohohoohohohohoho!!!"  
  
  
  
"THIS IS NOT WHAT I ORDERED!" Lina screamed at the chef. "I ordered items   
A through Double Q! Triple portions! This is item Double R! AND I HATE SLUG   
SOUFLE!!!"  
  
Zelgadis sighed. "Lina, it's really not that…"  
  
Lina threw a look of pure venom at him.  
  
"What do you plan to do about this?!" Zelgadis demanded of the chef.  
  
Standing at the back of the group, Amelia sighed. "Miss Lina has sure been cranky   
ever since that day at the cottage," she muttered to herself. "I hope she gets over it soon."  
  
"WHAT WAS THAT, AMELIA?!"  
  
"Ah! Nothing, Miss Lina!" the princess cried, holding her hands out to to fight off   
any fireballs Lina might throw her way in her wrath.  
  
"oooohohohohohooo…."  
  
"Ooooohohohohohoho…"  
  
"OOOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOOHOOO!!!"  
  
Amelia turned to the window just as a huge cloud of dust went by. She blinked and   
shook her head, turning back to the battle at hand.  
  
"NOT ONLY DO I WANT A REFUND, I WANT FREE MEALS FOR THE REST   
OF THE YEAR!!" Lina continued.  
  
"OOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!"  
  
Outside, behind the princess' back, the Flaming Heroes ran by, Naga in the lead.  
  
Amelia turned quickly to the sound and ran to the window. She looked down the   
road at the backs of four figures, but couldn't make them out.  
  
She thought for a moment, then shook her head.  
  
"Nah…Couldn't be…"  
  
  
  
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOOO!!"   
Naga laughed as she continued her pursuit. She could just make out the dust cloud in front   
of her. "No copii can outrun the TRUE Naga the White Serpent!"  
  
"Miss Naga! Wait up!" Shadow Lina begged as she ran, beginning to fall behind.  
  
Jeffrey had unsheathed Razor Blade and was pointing it at the cloud. "HALT, EVIL   
COPII NAGAS! HALT AND FACE JUSTICE'S WRATH!!"  
  
Running alongside Naga, having no trouble keeping pace, Xellos smiled. "I trust   
now that we've found these sorceresses, you have a plan?"  
  
"Well…."  
  
The Mazoku grinned.   
  
The sorceress frowned at him. "Well, they're OBVIOUSLY on their way back to   
their hideout! We'll just follow them right to their base! This way, we get the reward   
money, AND their loot! OOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!"  
  
"A plan worthy of your genius," Xellos sighed.  
  
"I SAID HALT!!" Jeffrey shouted, beginning to pant.   
  
"It looks like they're entering that forest," Xellos pointed out.  
  
True enough, the dust cloud was disappearing into a grove of trees.   
  
"Of course! Where else would I put a secret hideout! ONWARD!!   
OOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!" She put on speed and continued her pursuit.   
  
  
  
Nagaichi, the self-appointed leader of the White Serpents Gang, looked over her   
shoulder and saw a small cloud of dust in the distance behind them. She adjusted the sack   
of loot she held over her shoulder and turned to Nagani, her second in command.  
  
"We're being followed," she told her.  
  
Nagani looked back and nodded. "We can lose them in the forest!"  
  
"They'll get so turned around in there, they'll never find their way out!" Nagasan   
agreed.  
  
"They'll rue the day they thought they could outsmart Naga the White Serpent!"   
Nagayon spoke up.  
  
"OOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!" the gang chorused.  
  
"Into the trees!" Nagaichi ordered.  
  
The sorceress gang entered the dark forest, Ledendestra…  
  
  
  
Jeffrey panted and rested against the side of a tree. "Halt….evildoe…" He broke   
off and puked.  
  
"Ah! Lord Jeffrey! Are you okay?" Shadow Lina asked, running up to him.  
  
Naga and Xellos stopped and checked the tracks. "From these tracks…I can tell   
only one thing for certain," Naga intoned, her voice deadly serious.  
  
They all waited for her to finish.  
  
The true White Serpent stood up, posed, and pointed. "THEY WENT THAT   
WAY!!!"  
  
The rest of the gang hit the ground hard.   
  
"Um…Miss Naga, we kind of knew THAT," Jeffrey told her.  
  
"Then why did you stop?" Naga asked. With that, she dashed into the forest after   
her copiis.  
  
Xellos smacked his forehead and grit his teeth. Shadow Lina watched Naga run off   
in awe. "She's so courageous," she whispered.  
  
"Wait! Miss Naga!" Jeffrey shouted, huffing after her. "Wait for me!"  
  
"Jeffrey! Wait!" Shadow Lina cried, running after him.  
  
Xellos took a breath and started muttering to himself. "It's only temporary. It's   
only temporary. It's only temporary…"  
  
He walked into the forest after Naga.  
  
  
  
Naga stopped as she came to a fork in the forest path. She looked for tracks, but   
couldn't find any on the ground before her. Her eyes narrowed.   
  
"Miss Nagaaaaaaaaa!!!!"  
  
She turned and found Jeffrey, Shadow Lina, and Xellos running toward her. Putting   
her finger to her lips, she hmm'd in thought. How to decide which way to go…  
  
Xellos hmm'd as well, except that he did it while looking through a guidebook.   
  
Naga blinked. "Where did you get that?"  
  
The Mazoku smiled. "Ah, this? I picked it up as we were dashing through that   
town. I thought it might come in handy. See? It has a map and…" He was cut off as Naga   
snatched the book from him and read the map portion. After several seconds, she pointed   
to the right.  
  
"We shall go this way!"  
  
"Um…Miss Naga…" Xellos began.  
  
"Why that way?" Shadow Lina peeped.  
  
"Because it's EXACTLY the way I'd go if I were them!"   
  
"Miss Naga…" Xellos tried again.  
  
"ONWARD!! OOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!" Naga laughed as she ran down   
the path.  
  
"FLAMING HEROES AWAY!!" Jeffrey called, following her.  
  
"Um…Yay…" Shadow Lina meekly called out, giving pursuit.  
  
Xellos watched them go. He shook his head and sighed. "Forget it. I'm watching   
this one from the sidelines." In a flash he was gone.  
  
The three unbeatable heroes, meanwhile, continued down the path…  
  
Right up until it stopped…  
  
With a cliff.  
  
Shadow Lina backpedaled, almost going over the edge. Naga put her hands on her   
hips and smiled. Jeffrey looked puzzled.  
  
"Um…Miss Naga…I don't get it."  
  
"Of course not, Jeffrey."  
  
"Um…You said this is the way you'd go if you were them, right?"  
  
"That's right."  
  
"And this cliff was in Mister Xellos' guidebook, right?"  
  
"Correct again," she told him.  
  
"So….Why exactly would you go in this direction?"  
  
"OOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!" Naga laughed. "For precisely this reason!   
This is the exact spot I'd choose if I were going to ambush someone chasing me!"  
  
"WHAT?!" Shadow Lina and Jeffrey cried.  
  
"FREEEEEEZE…."  
  
"FREEEEEZE…"  
  
The word echoed around them eight more times.  
  
"Right on time!" Naga cried.  
  
"ARROW!!!!"  
  
The three ducked to one side as ten freeze arrows from ten different directions   
flashed out of the forest around them and struck the ground where they had been standing!  
  
  
  
Xellos appeared in a tree branch not far away, holding his staff in one hand and a   
forty ounce Big Gulp soft-drink in the other. He watched the ice arrows hit the ground,   
forming patches of thick ice near the cliff edge.  
  
"Oooh!" he murmured, taking another sip from his drink. He settled in to watch.  
  
  
  
Naga landed nimbly on her feet. "FREEEEEZE ARROW!"  
  
A shaft of ice leapt from her hands and struck a tree, freezing the trunk and working   
its way up to the leaves. One of the copii Naga's jumped down and faced off with her.   
  
Three more copiis jumped out of their hiding places and faced Jeffrey. The young   
man held his sword up and grimaced. "CHARGE!!!" he yelled running toward them! He   
took a swipe at one, who deftly stepped aside and gave him a kick. Jeffrey fell on his face,   
surrounded by the three Naga's.  
  
"OOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!" they laughed.   
  
"My god! He's pathetic!" Naganana commented.   
  
"I'll say! What a clutz!" Nagahachi replied.  
  
A cold wind blew past them.  
  
"WHAT!? WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT MY JEFFREY!?"  
  
The three sorceresses looked up to see a large, masked woman with a mallet flying   
towards them out of the forest!  
  
"WHAT THE…"  
  
"MOTHERLY LOVE FLYING ATTACK!!!" Josephine screamed, using the   
handle of her mallet to flatten the three copiis as she flew through them. The Naga's went   
flying.   
  
Jeffrey sat up and rubbed his head. "Wow…What was that?"  
  
Another copii inched up behind him. "FREEZE…"  
  
Shadow Lina gasped. "Jeffrey!" She pointed at the Naga and shut her eyes.   
"FIREBALL!"  
  
A ball of flame shot from her hands and struck the ground at the copii's feet.   
Nagajuu went flying through the air.  
  
Shadow Lina blinked. "Hey….I got one!" she cried.  
  
"FREEEEEZE…"  
  
"FLAAAARE…"  
  
"ARROW!" Naga and Nagaichi cried at once, releasing their attacks at one   
another. The two bolts deflected harmlessly and detonated to either side.  
  
"Hmmm…" Naga said with a lazy smile. "You're obviously the leader…"  
  
Nagaichi grinned. "How could you tell?"  
  
Naga pointed at her. "BECAUSE ONLY THE LEADER WOULD DARE TAKE   
ON HER PROGENITOR!!!"  
  
"FREEEEZE…."  
  
"FIIIIIIRE…"  
  
"BRID!"  
  
"BALL!"  
  
Once again, the attacks deflected one another.   
  
  
  
Xellos sipped and watched. "Hmmm….Now would probably be a good time for   
the deus ex machina to show up…"  
  
More Naga's were jumping from the trees.  
  
  
  
Shadow Lina cried out as she was thrown forward by a blast from a Flare Arrow.   
  
"Lina! I'll save you!" Jeffrey cried. He rushed forward.   
  
Two Naga's smiled. "BEPHIS BRING!" they cried, striking the ground with their   
palms.  
  
The earth opened up in front of Jeffrey. "AUUUGHH!!!" He blinked and looked   
up at the entrance of the newly formed crater. "Hey, where'd this hole come from?!"  
  
"VICE FREEZE!"  
  
"BURST FLARE!"  
  
The two spells struck each other, exploding into a thick fog. Naga looked about,   
trying to find her opponent.   
  
"FREEZE ARROW!"  
  
Naga leapt back as the ice arrow landed where she had been standing. "BURST   
RONDO!!!" A thousand tiny fireballs flew from her hands into the fog bank. She heard   
something above her and looked up to see her copii flying towards her.  
  
"FLARE ARROW!"  
  
Naga didn't have time for a counterspell. She leapt to the left as the arrow   
exploded next to her, knocking her off her feet.  
  
Nagaichi stood over her and smiled. "OOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!"  
  
"Er…You know…if you were really my copy, you'd invite me to join your gang,"   
Naga said.  
  
Nagaichi smiled. "No, I wouldn't." She pointed down. "FLAAAARE…."  
  
A flash of gold appeared over the copii's shoulder. She turned quickly.   
  
"What the…"  
  
A golden dragon flapped her wings as she flew to a hover over the cliff. She   
opened her mouth, a ball of energy collecting there.  
  
"Oh crap!" Naga whimpered, diving to one side.  
  
The Laser Breath shot from the dragon's mouth, carving up the cliff like a roast.   
Copii Naga's screamed and ran about, trying to hide, but the explosive force from the   
attack knocked them off their feet and into tree trunks or onto the ground, knocking most of   
them out.  
  
"Hey! What's going on up there?!" Jeffrey called from his hole.  
  
Shadow Lina cried as she was tossed into the hole with him by another laser blast.  
  
Naga stared up at the dragon in genuine awe.  
  
Xellos clapped his hands. "Let's hear it for the o'l deus ex machina!"  
  
The dragon landed on the cliff, obviously royally pissed…  
  
"XELLOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!" she screamed. She   
gathered up more power and fired, leveling every tree in a one mile radius.   
  
Xellos eeked and disappeared, reappearing at the base of his tree. "Ow…" he   
muttered.  
  
"WHERE ARE YOU, NAMAGOMI!!!!???" the dragon screamed. "COME OUT   
HERE SO I CAN TEAR THE SKIN OFF YOUR BODY!!!"  
  
"Hmmm…" Xellos remarked. "I hope that doesn't feel the way it sounds…" He   
stepped out from the tree line. Naga was helping Jeffrey and Shadow Lina out of the hole,   
while several copii Naga's lay about, singed and unconscious.  
  
The dragon looked down at the Mazoku and growled.  
  
"Er…Hello there, Filia chan!" Xellos greeted with a wave. "What brings you out   
here?"  
  
In a flash of light, the dragon shrank down to the human form of Filia Ul Copt. She   
grit her teeth and marched up to Xellos, her mace in her hand. "Give him back THIS   
INSTANT!" she ordered.  
  
"'Him?'" Naga asked.  
  
"VAL! THIS NAMAGOMI MONSTER TOOK HIM AND REPLACED HIM   
WITH THIS CHEAP, PAPER MACHE EGG!!!" Filia cried, showing them the dummy   
egg.  
  
"Oh! That!" Xellos said as if it suddenly dawned on him. He reached into his   
robes and removed the real egg. "I thought he might benefit from the field trip, so I…"  
  
Filia reached out and snatched ValGaav's egg from him, cuddling it to her chest.   
"There there, little Val…" she cooed.  
  
"On another note, it appears that we've won," Xellos commented, scratching his   
head.  
  
"You sound surprised," Naga told him smugly.  
  
"Closer to astonished, actually," the Mazoku confessed.   
  
The sorceress smiled. "OOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!"  
  
  
  
The man in crimson observed the melee through a telescope from another cliff not   
too far away. It was a good thing Lina Inverse had survived. He knew she was his best   
hope for finding what he sought.   
  
All he had to do now, was get to her.  
  
  
  
The sack of gold coins made a heavy thud as they hit the table in front of her. Filia   
looked up and saw Naga smiling down at her. "As promised, your twenty percent."  
  
"I wasn't working for you," Filia reminded her. "I was looking for little Val."   
She rocked the egg in her arms to emphasize this point.  
  
"You know…" Naga began, sitting across from the golden dragon. "An egg is easy   
to take care of…"  
  
"And how would…"  
  
"Hear me out," the sorceress interrupted, already shifting into her negotiation   
mode. "It doesn't eat. It doesn't need diapers. Or milk. It doesn't need money for   
school…But eventually, he will."  
  
Filia blinked.  
  
"Now, this money would go a long way toward helping that goal, wouldn't it?"   
Naga asked her. "More would help with clothes, food, diapers, a college fund…"  
  
The dragon looked down at the coins. Naga smiled.  
  
"Um…Just what is it you're asking me?" Filia questioned.  
  
"Join our band of heroes!" the White Serpent told her. "I guarantee you a   
continued twenty percent fee, plus bonuses if the treasure is especially large!"  
  
Filia thought about it. "But…What about Val?"  
  
"Lots of mothers work!" Naga waved the question aside. "And wouldn't it be   
better to work now, get the money for his future while he's…well…oblivious…then have   
to go out and earn it while he's a child…" She sniffled dramatically. "Yearning for the   
attention of a mother who can't be there because of her job…" She began to cry.   
"MOMMY! WHERE ARE YOU?!" she wailed.  
  
The dragon sighed. "I can quit anytime I want?"  
  
"Guaranteed!" Naga assured her with a grin. "If you ever miss little Val, you can   
just up and go! We'll understand!"  
  
Filia bit her lip. A lot of what this woman said made sense….surprisingly enough.   
She sighed. "Very well. For the time being, I'll accompany you."  
  
"HOT DAMN!"  
  
"I'll ask Milgasia and the golden dragons at Katart to look after Val's egg," Filia   
said sadly.   
  
"You won't regret this, Filia! I promise!"  
  
  
  
Shadow Lina tightened the towel around her body and started down the inn's hall   
toward the hot springs in the back. She decided to splurge a little with the ten percent Miss   
Naga had paid her from the reward money and get a decent room near the springs.  
  
She hummed to herself as she walked, but stopped dead in her tracks when she   
sensed something behind her.  
  
"Lina Inverse…"  
  
Shadow Lina screamed!  
  
  
  
Jeffrey was in his room polishing his Razor Blade and basking in the afterglow of a   
hardly won battle. He added a few more drops of polish to the rag…  
  
That's when he heard Shadow Lina scream.  
  
"LINA!" He jumped and rushed out the door. Turning he saw a strange man   
dressed in red standing near the sorceress. "FLAMING JEFFREY ATTACK!!!" he   
screamed, raising Razor Blade over his head and running toward the man.  
  
The man didn't even turn. A shield popped up around him, knocking the skinny   
warrior back.  
  
"Jeffrey!" Shadow Lina cried, on her knees in fright.  
  
"Ahem!"  
  
They looked up and found Naga and Filia standing not far away. Filia's mace was   
in her hand, and Naga had a Freeze Arrow nocked and ready.   
  
"Hi there," she remarked.  
  
"I have no business with you," the man told her.   
  
"Oh, but you're speaking to one of MY employees," Naga told him.   
  
"I mean her no harm," the crimson man assured her. "I wish only to ask a   
question."  
  
"Then you really are talking to the wrong woman," the sorceress informed him.   
"I'M her manager. If you want something from her, you talk to me."  
  
The man seemed to consider this. "Very well," he said calmly. "I require   
information. I am, of course, willing to pay for it."  
  
"How much?"   
  
"One hundred."  
  
"Three, not a gold penny less," Naga told him.  
  
The crimson man took an annoyed breath. "Agreed."  
  
Naga smiled and held out her hand. The man blinked in surprise. "Up front," she   
told him,  
  
"Absurd! What if she doesn't know?"  
  
"Then you're going to be awfully disappointed."   
  
He growled. "Fine." He tossed her a sack of gold coins.  
  
Naga smiled and lowered the Freeze Arrow. "You may ask her your question."  
  
"Thank you," the man said with disdain. He turned to Shadow Lina. "Lina   
Inverse, I have only one question for you."  
  
Shadow Lina bit her nails and nodded fearfully.  
  
"Where can I find Zelgadis Greywords?"  
  
Naga's breath caught in her throat.  
  
Shadow Lina shrugged. "I dunno…"  
  
The man hit the floor. He climbed to his feet. "What do you mean, you don't   
know?!" he cried. "He's traveled with you for more than three years now!"  
  
"No he hasn't!" Shadow Lina cried tearfully. "And don't yell at me!" She curled   
up into a ball.  
  
"You're scaring her!" Jeffrey cried. "Leave her alone! Or taste the vengeance of   
my Razor Blade!"  
  
The crimson man grit his teeth. "Lying to me won't…"  
  
"I'm not lying! I don't know who you're talking about!" Shadow Lina sniffled.   
  
"Wha…"  
  
"Um…Mister," Jeffrey began helpfully. "I think you have the wrong Lina Inverse.   
This one is a copii…"  
  
"I'm a shadow! Not a copii!" she cried.  
  
"Uh…sorry…" Jeffrey said lamely.  
  
"A…a SHADOW?!" the growled. "All this time…I was tracking…A   
SHADOW!?"  
  
Shadow Lina sniffed and nodded.  
  
The man sighed and shook his head. "Thank you for your time," he growled.   
"Astral Phase."  
  
Before Naga could ask a question of her own, the man was out of sight.  
  
"Who was that?" Filia asked.  
  
"A very mean man!" Shadow Lina wept.  
  
(Whoever he is,) Naga thought. (He's looking for Stony…)   
  
"What should we do, Miss Naga?" Jeffrey asked.  
  
The White Serpent looked down at the sack of coins. (He was willing to pay an   
awful lot for just his location. He wants Zelgadis pretty bad…) She raised her head. "Get   
some sleep. We're leaving early tomorrow," she told them.  
  
"Where to?" Shadow Lina asked.  
  
Naga smiled despite how she REALLY felt…  
  
"We're going to find Zelgadis Greywords before the man in the red carpet does."   
With that, she walked to her room and shut the door.   
  
She bit her lip. Despite the bravado, she was worried. In the short time she had   
known him, Zelgadis and Sylphiel had become her friends. And she knew he had enemies   
now after what happened at Zarak Tor.  
  
(Could the Wind Dragon King be looking for him? But if so, why ask about Stony   
and not Sylphiel, who actually DESTROYED the island?)  
  
There was no way to know. She collapsed on her bed and stared up at the ceiling.   
  
(Be careful, Stony, Sylphiel…) she thought.  
  
(Trouble's coming.)  
  
  
  
The crimson man waved his hand over a basin of water. In a few seconds, a human   
face with inhuman, yellow eyes was looking back at him from the water.   
  
"Well?" the man in the basin asked.  
  
"There is a delay. My lead turned out to be false."  
  
"I see," the man with yellow eyes commented. "But you WILL find him, correct?"  
  
The crimson man nodded. "The method of locating him remains unchanged. Find   
Lina Inverse and find Zelgadis Greywords."  
  
"I have others looking for her now. She'll turn up. Her reputation won't allow for   
anything else."  
  
The crimson man nodded. "I'll report again when I have news."  
  
The man in the basin's face disappeared. The crimson man looked out the window   
of his room.   
  
(You can't hide forever, Zelgadis Greywords…)  
  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
  
Please send flames to Davner, at doscher009@hotmail.com  
  
Thanks for reading! ^_^ \/  



	3. Heartbreak! The Price of a Homecoming.

Slayers belongs to Kadokawa Shoten and Central Park Media.  
  
  
AMELIA: Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun, champion of justice, here! As we approach Atlas   
City, it's become obvious that something's bothering Mister Zelgadis…  
  
GOURRY: Maybe it's athlete's foot…  
  
AMELIA: Um…I'm reasonably sure it's not that, Mister Gourry… Anyway, not only that,   
but it appears to me that Mister Zelgadis and Miss Sylphiel have been spending an awful   
lot of time together… But…It's nothing…right?…..RIGHT?!  
  
LINA: *SIGH* I'm going to have to tell her eventually…  
  
  
  
Faces: After!  
Part 3  
Heartbreak!  
The Price of a Homecoming.  
  
  
  
The sign in the fork in the road was nothing special, a marker and nothing more.   
One arrow pointing to Atlas City, the other pointing to a small town called Borden. To   
most, it was nothing more than two pieces of wood nailed to a post, keeping travelers   
who've never been to this area from getting mixed up. It was nothing important at all.  
  
Unless your name was Zelgadis Greywords.  
  
Lina was already ten steps down the path marked "Atlas City," before she noticed   
that Zelgadis was still staring at the sign. "Zel? Something wrong?"  
  
Gourry, Amelia, and Sylphiel noticed that he had stopped and turned as well.   
  
He continued to stare at the signboard.  
  
"Zelgadis?" Sylphiel called out, consciously dropping the 'dear' at the end.  
  
The chimera turned back to them. "No, nothing." He started walking again, right   
past them.   
  
The rest of the group watched him go.   
  
"Is there something wrong with Mister Zelgadis today?" Amelia asked the rest of   
the group in a hushed whisper. "He's been so…I don't know…antsy…the closer we've   
gotten to Atlas City."  
  
Sylphiel watched Zelgadis' receding back. She had a feeling she knew what it   
was.  
  
  
  
"Why didn't you go?" she asked him, trotting up alongside him.  
  
Zelgadis didn't answer right away. "I decided against it."  
  
Sylphiel blinked at him. "But why?"  
  
"She's spent the last several years thinking I'm dead. What right do I have to turn   
her life upside down by popping into it again?"  
  
"Zelgadis dear," she whispered sympathetically. "Just say it. You're frightened."  
  
He looked at her for a moment. "Some truth there, I suppose," he said in   
resignation.  
  
She took his arm and squeezed it. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. Maybe on our   
way back…"  
  
"Maybe," he said quickly.  
  
  
  
Walking not far behind, Amelia watched Zelgadis and Sylphiel converse. She   
wasn't sure what to make of it. It seemed that ever since they had rejoined after their trip   
to Krenek, Mister Zelgadis had seemed…more at ease with himself. Now it seemed that   
he was shrinking back into his shell.  
  
She was glad that Zelgadis and Sylphiel were friends. The chimera wasn't very   
good with personal relationships, and it had always seemed that the priestess rubbed him   
the wrong way. However, now they seemed as close as friends as Lina and Gourry were.  
  
The princess blinked as a new thought popped into her head.  
  
(No,) she thought. (I mean…They wouldn't… They have nothing at all in common   
and…)  
  
She shook her head. It was a stupid thought. Zelgadis and Sylphiel were friends.   
  
And that was it.  
  
Right?  
  
  
  
Lina looked up and saw Amelia watching Zelgadis and Sylphiel. She felt a pang of   
sympathy for the young girl. She knew the princess was hung up on the chimera. She was   
going to be crushed when she finally realized it.  
  
"I suppose I better tell her," she murmured.  
  
"Tell who what?" Gourry asked, walking beside her.   
  
The sorceress sighed. "Nothing Gourry." She thought for a minute, then turned   
back to him. "Hey, Gourry…Have you and Sylphiel…talked…in the last few weeks?"  
  
"Well, yeah. We always talk."  
  
"You do?"  
  
"Oh sure!" the blonde said with a smile. "We talk over breakfast, and at lunch, not   
to mention dinner…"  
  
"I meant…have you sat down and had a serious talk with her   
lately…about…well… Anything?"  
  
"Not really…" Gourry replied, searching his mind for an answer. "She did say   
that she was glad we could be friends… And I think she said something about how you and   
I will be happy some day…"  
  
Lina sighed. Sylphiel had handled what she thought of as the only romantic snag for   
her, and Gourry didn't even realize she was giving him the 'let's just be friends' line.  
  
It was going to be harder for Amelia.   
  
  
  
Amelia looked across the main room of the inn and saw Zelgadis sitting at a table   
near the fire. He appeared to be writing in a small, leather-bound book. She bit her lip   
and came to a decision. She grabbed a slice of cherry pie she had ordered and asked the   
waitress for a second one. Once she had returned with the second dessert, Amelia stood   
up and walked over to the chimera.  
  
"Mister Zelgadis," she greeted with a bright smile.   
  
Zelgadis looked up and saw her. "Oi, Amelia."  
  
"I brought you a piece of pie," she told him, offering the pastry to him.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Is it okay if I sit here?" she asked.  
  
He nodded and continued writing in his book.  
  
"What's that?" she asked.  
  
"A log."  
  
"A log?"  
  
"Like a diary. Rezo used to insist that I write things down in my travels. Said that   
something that might seem unimportant at the time might be useful later. It became habit."  
  
"Wow," Amelia breathed. "How long have you had it?"  
  
"Six years."  
  
"You must have a lot of cool stuff in there about your travels, huh?!" Amelia asked.  
  
"I suppose."  
  
"So whatcha writing now?"   
  
Zelgadis gave up and put the pen down. "Trying to solve a PERSONAL dilemma,"   
he told her.  
  
"What kind of dilemma?"  
  
"The personal kind," he replied evenly.  
  
"Maybe I could help," she offered with a smile.   
  
"I'm not sure anyone can," he told her honestly.  
  
"Try me." She spooned up some pie and shoved it into her mouth, chewing   
happily.  
  
He looked at her, into her eyes. He seemed to make a decision and began.   
"There's something I've been meaning to do in the area for a long time, and I'm trying to   
decide whether or not to do it now."  
  
"What kind of something?"  
  
"A personal something."  
  
"Is it a really important personal something?" she asked, undeterred.   
  
He paused. "Yes," he answered finally.  
  
"Then you should do it," she told him. "Papa always told me, never put off til   
tomorrow what you can do today, for tomorrow may never come."  
  
Zelgadis looked unconvinced.  
  
"Well, think about it," she said. "I mean…how many times have we been faced   
with exactly that situation? We could walk out of here tomorrow, and some icky Mazoku   
could drop a piano on us. So why would anyone want to put anything off if it's important?"  
  
The chimera actually blinked in shock. "Thank you, Amelia. That actually makes   
sense."  
  
The princess beamed, happy that she could help him out. Her smile, however,   
flipped when Zelgadis closed his book and stood up. "Where are you going, Mister   
Zelgadis?"  
  
"My room. There's some things I have to do."  
  
"Oh…well…Good night," she said dejectedly. She had been hoping to talk to him   
more.  
  
He looked down at her. "Thank you, Amelia," he said, and he meant it.  
  
She mustered a smile. "You're welcome, Mister Zelgadis."  
  
The chimera walked out. He had to prepare. Amelia looked down at the   
unfinished cherry pie.  
  
Suddenly, she wasn't in the mood for sweets.  
  
  
  
Zelgadis tightened the straps on his shoulder pack and nodded, satisfied that they   
were tight enough. He walked down the hall as quietly as possible. It was well past   
midnight, and he didn't want to wake any of the others.   
  
Stopping by Lina's room, he slipped a letter under the door, saying that he had   
found a lead on his curse from an old friend and would catch up with them at Dorosland.   
Then, he tiptoed across the hall and slipped a more truthful letter under Sylphiel's door.   
He appreciated Sylphiel's help, but this was something he'd have to do alone.  
  
Turning, he started down the hallway towards the exit. He opened the door quietly   
and stepped outside into the moonlight. He then turned back to the door and slowly closed   
it, listening for any creak of old metal. The lock clicked shut, and he turned….  
  
"Zelgadis dear,"  
  
He jumped. Sylphiel was standing right there, a pack on her back. "Sylphiel?!" he   
whispered in shock. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm coming with you," she told him.  
  
"How did you know I was leaving?" he asked, puzzled.  
  
"Well, when I was in your room earlier, I noticed that you hadn't bothered to   
unpack anything. Then later, I noticed that you seemed to be very excited about   
something."  
  
"That could've been anything," he told her.  
  
"But I really knew you were planning something when you didn't come to my room   
after everyone was asleep." She blushed.  
  
The chimera matched her shade of red and cleared his throat nervously.  
  
"So, I thought I'd come along!" she told him. She held up a sack. "I even made   
breakfast for later!"  
  
"Sylphiel," he said softly. "I…"  
  
"Zelgadis dear," she began, "Someone has to come with you to make sure you don't   
change your mind again. Who knows when we'll be back this way again?"  
  
The chimera thought about it. She did have a point, and if his mother WAS still   
around…he'd like her to meet Sylphiel.  
  
He nodded. "All right. Let's get going. I told Lina I'd meet her in Dorosland in a   
few days."  
  
"Right." Together, the two started down the road towards Borden.  
  
  
  
Amelia sighed as she stared up at the ceiling. Lying in the bed next to her own,   
Lina snored, splayed out all over the bed, but this isn't what was keeping her awake.  
  
She was thinking about him again.  
  
They had been through so much together, and he still only saw her as a   
rambunctious girl. She couldn't help it if she loved justice. She had dedicated her life to   
it, but every time she made a speech, she could see him rolling his eyes. She could almost   
hear his thoughts at that precise moment.  
  
("Foolish little girl.")  
  
She wished she looked more like her sister. She had only been a little girl at the   
time, but she remembered that Gracia oneechan was a tall, raven-haired beauty. Almost   
goddess-like. Not only that, but intelligent, graceful, and very lady-like…  
  
  
  
*BEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!*  
  
Naga looked across the table at her companions, who were all staring at her in   
frank disgust.  
  
"What?" she asked. "Huh? What?"  
  
"Miss Naga…" Shadow Lina began, trying to find the right words to chastise her   
boss for her rudeness.  
  
Filia only sighed and shook her head. "The more things change, the more they stay   
the same…"  
  
  
  
She wished she had that. She wished she was tall and beautiful. Maybe if she   
grew her hair longer, she'd look older, more sophisticated, more…  
  
Like Sylphiel.  
  
Amelia blinked. Why would that make a difference? They're not together.   
They're not! She's just been seeing things.  
  
Like sidelong glances…  
  
And the way they always seem to be talking…  
  
And…  
  
(Stop it!) she ordered her brain. (It's nothing.)  
  
She turned her head as she heard footsteps outside. There was a faint scratching   
noise, and an envelope appeared under the door. The footsteps began to recede. She   
hopped out of bed and picked up the envelope. It wasn't addressed to anyone in particular,   
which meant it was either for her or Miss Lina.  
  
She opened it.  
  
("Lina,") she read silently, ("I have a lead on my curse from an old associate I   
knew in my days with Rezo. The rest of you go on ahead, and I'll catch up with you in   
Dorosland. Zelgadis.")  
  
An old associate from his days with Rezo? Alone?  
  
What if it was a trap?  
  
She thought about Eris, Vruumguun, and Zangulus. Sure, Zangulus later became a   
friend, but before that, they all had done all they could to kill them.  
  
Zelgadis could be walking right into a trap!  
  
She grabbed a pen and scribbled at the bottom of the letter.  
  
("Dear Miss Lina. Went with Zelgadis. See you in Dorosland. Amelia.")  
  
That taken care of, the princess began to dress.  
  
  
  
"So what's Borden like?" Sylphiel asked.  
  
"It's a hole in the Earth," Zelgadis told her, not pausing in his walk for even a   
second. "Nothing in it of any value. Pig farmers, a tavern, and a temple."  
  
"Just your average village then?"  
  
"Below average," he replied. "I've seen dungeons that were more appealing than   
what I remember of Borden."  
  
"What made it so horrible?" she asked, genuinely confused. She had never heard   
Zelgadis speak so detestably about ANY place like he was speaking now.  
  
He paused now. "It wasn't the place that was horrible, I guess. It was growing up   
there."  
  
"You didn't like it?"  
  
"I was the runt," he told her without batting an eye. "The smallest,   
youngest…weakest… I was an easy target."  
  
Sylphiel nodded in understanding.   
  
"I guess you could say it led to this," he went on, gesturing to his face. "I said I   
wanted to be strong…so I could go back there and treat them like they treated me…I guess   
Rezo heard me and granted my wish…in his own sick, twisted way."  
  
The shrine maiden sighed. Looking up, she saw the sun beginning to rise. "Let's   
stop for breakfast," she suggested. "We have some time."  
  
They stopped and built a tiny fire. Zelgadis bit into a pastry Sylphiel had made.   
He wondered how it was that every inn they came across, she was allowed into the kitchen   
to cook her own meals. Gourry had always said she was a great cook. Maybe she had a   
reputation that preceded her.  
  
"How far is Borden from here?" Sylphiel asked him.  
  
"Three or four miles," he said. "Not too far."  
  
"Good, because I'm already getting tired."  
  
They both blinked and turned to the owner of the comment. Amelia was sitting on   
the other side of the fire, munching on a pastry of her own.  
  
"Miss Amelia?" Sylphiel asked in shock.  
  
She swallowed down a mouthful and smiled. "I saw Mister Zelgadis' note and   
thought I should come along." Her smile drooped a second later as she said, "I didn't   
know you were coming along, Miss Sylphiel."  
  
"Oh…Yes. I saw Z…Mister Zelgadis leaving the inn and thought I'd join him."  
  
"Oh," Amelia said with a nod. "So where are we going? Do you think this man   
will really have the cure to your curse?"  
  
Zelgadis and Sylphiel looked at one another. "Actually, Amelia," he began.   
"There is no associate."  
  
Amelia put it together. (They're…they're…they're eloping,) she thought. (They're   
running away together and this whole thing was just a ploy to…)  
  
"My family is in Borden," he confessed quietly. "I'm going to see them."  
  
"OH THANK CEPHEID!" Amelia cried. Zelgadis and Sylphiel blinked. "I   
mean…That's wonderful, Mister Zelgadis! I can't wait to meet them! What are they   
like?!" she asked, suddenly enthralled.  
  
"Er…" the chimera began, unsure. "You're…still coming along?"  
  
Amelia grinned and nodded enthusiastically. "Miss Lina and Mister Gourry have   
probably gotten the letter by now and are probably already gone. It'd take too long to catch   
up to them, and I think I'd like to meet your parents, Mister Zelgadis!"  
  
He sighed. He had slinked out of the inn hoping to do this alone. Now he had two   
women tagging along with him.   
  
(Well…What's the worst that could happen?)  
  
(Amelia could detail every instance where I was forced to crossdress…)  
  
(….Fine, you win. But you still can't do anything about it.)  
  
He looked up at Amelia's smiling face and sighed again. "Well…we should get   
going if we want to get there."  
  
  
  
It was raining by the time they finally arrived at the village of Borden. The three   
had donned hoods to try to keep the precipitation out, but were still soaked as they walked   
through the muddy main road of the town.  
  
There wasn't much at all. Zelgadis had been right. A tavern, a church, a village   
hall…It wasn't much of a village.   
  
Zelgadis walked ahead of them, trying to remember exactly where everything was.   
Sylphiel and Amelia walked behind him, alongside one another.   
  
"Um…Miss Sylphiel?" Amelia began.  
  
"Yes, Miss Amelia?"  
  
Amelia looked ahead to see if Zelgadis was listening. "I was just   
wondering…Why did Zelgadis make up a story like that? If he just wanted to visit his   
family, why didn't we all just come together?"  
  
Sylphiel paused and likewise checked to see if Zelgadis could hear. Content that   
he wasn't paying attention, she dropped her voice to a whisper. "Ze…Mister Zelgadis   
is…self conscious about seeing his mother," she told her. "He's afraid that…that his curse   
will…well…He's just not sure how his mother will take it."  
  
"But Mister Zelgadis looks cool!" Amelia countered. "And he's a hero of   
justice!"  
  
"I know that, and you know that," Sylphiel whispered, "But Zelgadis doesn't see it   
that way."  
  
"Oh," Amelia breathed. She looked to her right and saw a group of men standing   
near the door of the tavern across the street. "I wonder who those guys are."  
  
Sylphiel followed her gaze. The men were looking right at them. "Probably just   
farmers or something," she replied. She felt a chill run up her back and a creepy feeling   
move into the pit of her stomach. She didn't like the way those men were looking at them   
at all.  
  
  
  
Despite what they thought, Zelgadis HAD heard their hushed conversation. He   
didn't really care. They could believe whatever they wanted. He knew that reality   
wouldn't so easily give way to their optimism.   
  
He still had to show his mother her son's face.  
  
Now if only he could find her. They had passed where his small childhood home   
had once stood, but found it gone, either torn down or burnt down. His mother must have   
moved.  
  
He wasn't sure if he hoped she was still in town or not.  
  
The chimera looked up to see a man in priest's robes walk out of the temple in front   
of him. He marched up to the elderly man.  
  
"Excuse me, Father," he began.   
  
The priest saw him and jumped a little in surprise at the sight of his face.   
"Er..Yes…Can I help you, my son?"  
  
"I'm looking for a woman who lived hear seven years ago," Zelgadis explained.   
"A woman and her daughter. Ayla Greywords. The girl's name was Stevanya."  
  
"The daughter left four years ago," the priest told him, remembering the names. "I   
can take you to the mother."  
  
Zelgadis felt relief in his heart. It was at that exact moment that he knew he had   
made the right decision. (Thank you, Sylphiel, Amelia,) he thought.  
  
"Please," he begged the priest. "Take me to her."  
  
  
  
He dropped to his knees, into the mud before it, in total shock. He shook his head,   
unwilling to accept it.  
  
Standing thirty feet behind him, Sylphiel and Amelia looked on in pity. The priest   
stood beside the chimera and took a breath.  
  
"There was nothing anyone could have done," he told Zelgadis quietly.  
  
Zelgadis swallowed back the lump in his throat as he looked at it. A three-foot   
high stone with a single word inscribed on it.  
  
GREYWORDS.  
  
He reached out and touched it, shutting his eyes. "There's no date," he commented   
quietly. "No epitaph."  
  
"The plague struck this area hard that year," the priest explained. "Only the very   
lucky were even buried at all. Most were burned to stop the contagion as soon as possible.   
In a time like that, dates were unimportant." Zelgadis continued to stare at it as the man   
continued. "She was lucky. It took her early on. Soon after, this place was almost nothing   
but a graveyard, a breeding ground of nightmarish despair and death."  
  
He said nothing for a moment. "I wish I had been here."  
  
"It was her wish that if you or your sister ever returned, that you…would be   
allowed to have her things." The priest put a key into his hand. "Those who made similar   
wishes had their belongings placed into a room in a house set aside for such things. The   
owner was the first to go, and had no children to inherit the house anyway."  
  
The chimera's hand closed around the key. "Thank you," he said dully. "My   
sister," he started again, "Do you know where she went?"  
  
The priest shook his head. "One morning, she walked past the temple. I waved to   
her, and she waved back. Then she continued down the road. She wasn't seen here again."  
  
"I see."  
  
"Your mother…thought that she was trying to escape this town the same as you   
did…"  
  
Zelgadis turned to the priest, anger all over his face. The priest actually took a step   
back, but the chimera said nothing. "Where is this house?" he asked instead.  
  
The priest sighed in relief. "Come. I'll take you there."  
  
  
  
(Oh, Cepheid, I'm so sorry, Zelgadis dear,) Sylphiel thought as she walked after   
Zelgadis and the priest. (I should never have pressed you to come.)  
  
"Poor Mister Zelgadis," Amelia mumbled next to her. "I know how he must feel. I   
remember when we arrived at Seyruun and they told me Papa was dead." She looked   
down at the ground. "He must feel so alone right now."  
  
The rest of the walk was done in silence. The priest led them to a large, two story   
house on the edge of town. He let them inside and led them to a room at the end of the hall.   
"This was your mother's," he told Zelgadis.  
  
The chimera took the key and opened the door. The room wasn't too large. It   
appeared to have at one time been a bedroom. There was a table in the center with a few   
boxes on top of it. More boxes lined the walls, making a small, square path around the   
table the only walking space.   
  
Zelgadis entered the room, Sylphiel and Amelia just behind him. The priest was   
content to stand outside and wait for them. The chimera ran his fingers along the tops of a   
few boxes, not quite willing to open them yet.  
  
Amelia passed one crate and stopped. There was a small, brass box sitting on top   
of it. She reached out curiously and opened the lid. Music began to play, a soft melody.  
  
Zelgadis stopped in his tracks. He didn't turn.  
  
Amelia saw him and quickly shut the lid. "I…I'm sorry…"  
  
He didn't answer.  
  
"It…um…was a nice tune," she told him lamely.  
  
"Keep it," he told her.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I said you can have it," he told her quietly. He still wouldn't turn.  
  
"Mister Zelgadis," Amelia breathed, "I couldn't…I…"  
  
"If you don't, it's going to be sold somewhere for three gold pennies," he growled.   
"She'd rather you have it, I think."  
  
Amelia swallowed and picked up the box, cradling it gently. "Thank you, Mister   
Zelgadis," she whispered. "I'll always treasure it."  
  
He ignored her, walking to the other side of the table. He blinked as he saw   
something sitting behind the boxes. Two envelopes, yellowing with age. One of them had   
his sister's name on it. The other had his own.  
  
Zelgadis reached out slowly and picked up the envelope. He gently opened it and   
found a folded letter inside.   
  
Sylphiel watched as he unfolded the paper and began to read, his eyes traveling the   
scrolling characters meant for his eyes only. She watched he slowly began to shake.  
  
"Zelgadis dear," she whispered.  
  
The shaking got worse. A drop of moisture struck the paper, then another. She   
could hear him choke. He slowly balled up the letter and let it fall, still trying to will the   
tears back.  
  
Then it happened.  
  
He screamed and threw the table over, spilling the contents of the boxes that sat   
atop it! He screamed again in frustration and fell to his knees, his hands covering his eyes.  
  
"Zelgadis dear," Sylphiel whispered, laying a hand on his shoulder. She felt a   
sliver of fear run through her. She trusted Zelgadis with her life, but how would he act in   
this kind of distress? "Zelgadis dear?"  
  
Amelia watched from the side, tears of her own coursing down her cheeks, feeling   
Zelgadis' pain.   
  
"Leave me alone," he whispered finally. Sylphiel gasped. "Just…just for a little   
while," he mumbled. "Just leave me alone."  
  
Sylphiel swallowed back tears of her own and turned. "Miss Amelia, let's…let's   
give Zelgadis dear some time alone."  
  
Amelia quickly nodded and followed the shrine maiden out.  
  
  
  
Sylphiel counted out a few gold pennies and placed them on the counter while the   
elderly store owner behind the counter placed the supplies she had bought into a crate for   
her to carry. She stared down at the countertop, still ashamed of herself. She had been so   
sure that she was doing the right thing by hounding on Zelgadis to come here, now he was   
in even more pain than before, and she was the cause of it.  
  
"Excuse me, young lady."  
  
She looked up and found the clerk looking at her. "Um…Hope this ain't rude or   
nuth'n," he told her, "But that…um…rock guy you came into town with….That really the   
Greywords kid?"  
  
The shrine maiden nodded.  
  
He nodded in response. "Wonder'n about that. Rumors fly'n 'round town, ya   
know."  
  
"Well…we won't be here for much longer," Sylphiel assured him quietly.  
  
"He um…He really a Mazoku?" he asked.  
  
"NO!" Sylphiel cried angrily. "He is most certainly not!" She picked up the crate   
and stormed out. She shook her head bitterly. After all Zelgadis dear had done, after all he   
had endured, for people to call him THAT….  
  
She shouldn't have been surprised. She, more than anyone except Zelgadis, knew   
that that's how the world worked. Appearance was everything. If you LOOKED like a   
monster, you must be a monster. Simple…yeah…Simple-MINDED.   
  
"Hey, cupcake, wait up," she heard as she passed the tavern. She stopped as three   
of the men she saw before stepped into her path. They smiled at her.  
  
"Um…Hello," she said a little nervously. "Can I help you?"  
  
The man in front, a dark-haired man who looked about twenty-five, stepped closer.   
"Yeah, we were wondering something. We saw you in town earlier. Wanted to say   
hello." He leered at the shrine maiden.  
  
"Hello," Sylphiel said, then started past them.  
  
"Woah, just a second!" the man said, stepping back in her path. "Where you go'in   
in such hurry?"  
  
"Back to my room," she told them, trying to get through again.  
  
"Sounds like a good idea," the man said with a grin. "Whatcha got in there?" he   
looked into the crate.  
  
"Dinner. Excuse me." Once again she tried to push past them.  
  
"Hey, that guy you were with this morning," the man began again. "Is that really   
Zel Greywords back from the dead?" He laughed.  
  
Sylphiel stopped. "Yes. It is."  
  
"Well where's he been all this time?" the man asked with a smile. Sylphiel could   
smell the raw alcohol on his breath.  
  
"Saving the world," she told him seriously. "What have YOU done lately?" She   
stepped past them and continued walking.  
  
The men laughed and caught up to her again. "Saving the world, huh?" he asked,   
stepping in her path again. "So what are you? His pet human?" His friends laughed at   
this.  
  
Sylphiel grit her teeth. "Excuse me," she growled. She started forward again, but   
the man wouldn't move.   
  
"That's it, ain't it?" he asked with a leer. "You got a thing for monsters,   
cupcake?" he queried.   
  
Sylphiel turned red in angry embarrassment. "Let me by," she said.  
  
"Now, come on! Don't go yet!" he begged. "Let's talk some more. Maybe we can   
help you."  
  
"Help me what?!" she asked angrily.  
  
He leered down at her. "Help you figure out that you don't got to be a rock to be   
hard."  
  
His friends went hysterical with laughter. Sylphiel turned bright red. The man   
continued to laugh.   
  
*CRACK!*  
  
The left side of the man's face turned red from the slap. She started past him again,   
but he grabbed her arm and turned her around, causing her to drop the carton.  
  
"Now come on, cupcake, no reason to make this ugly," he growled at her, squeezing   
her arm.  
  
"HALT!!"  
  
They all looked up to see a woman standing on the roof of the temple, her cape   
flapping in the breeze. She pointed down at the men.  
  
"TO DRUNKENLY INSULT SOMEONE CAN BE BLAMED ON MERE   
ALCOHOL! BUT TO THEN ASSAULT THEM IS A SLAP IN THE FACE OF   
JUSTICE!!!" she cried.   
  
"You gett'n any of this?" one man asked another.  
  
"Miss Amelia!" Sylphiel cried, recognizing the woman instantly.  
  
Amelia leapt from the roof and did a back flip, landing before the three men. She   
posed and pointed at them. "IN THE NAME OF JUSTICE ETERNAL, I ORDER YOU   
TO GO TO YOUR HOMES, SLEEP OFF YOUR INEBRIATION, AND COME BACK   
HERE AND BEG MISS SYLPHIEL FOR FORGIVENESS FOR WHAT YOU'VE   
DONE!!!"  
  
"Take off, girlie," the man told her with a sneer. "Or we'll call your mommy."  
  
Amelia's eye twitched. "Very well," she bit out. "You were warned." She raised   
her hands.  
  
Sylphiel squeaked and ducked. The men blinked at her.  
  
"BURST RONDO!!!"  
  
  
  
Amelia wiped some of the soot off her face as she walked. Walking beside her, the   
charred remnants of the crate she had been carrying in her arms, Sylphiel was still blinking   
in shock.  
  
"I think…" Amelia began haltingly, "I might have gone just a bit too far," she   
admitted.  
  
Sylphiel took a breath and looked back over her shoulder at the craters and   
pockmarked walls where Amelia had cut loose. The perverts had all run off, scared out of   
their minds by Amelia's attack. One of the wooden beams supporting the tavern's overhang   
was still smoking.  
  
The princess sighed.   
  
"Miss Amelia."   
  
She turned and found Sylphiel smiling at her.  
  
"Thank you," the shrine maiden said with a short bow.   
  
Amelia smiled. "It was all in the name of justice," she said with a wave,   
dismissing Sylphiel's thanks. They continued walking down the road towards the small inn   
where they were staying.  
  
The princess glanced over at Sylphiel and frowned slightly. How could she   
compete with her? Miss Sylphiel was tall, elegant, graceful, and kind. She could cook,   
use magic better than she could, and could walk ten steps without tripping over her own   
feet.  
  
(Dammit,) she thought. She thought about what had happened earlier that day.   
Zelgadis, on his knees in tears, and Sylphiel reaching out to comfort him.  
  
("Zelgadis dear." She had called him, "Zelgadis dear.")  
  
(Okay, it still doesn't mean anything!) she thought in response. (She used to call   
Gourry, "Gourry dear," but that didn't mean they were an item!)  
  
She glanced at the priestess again.  
  
(But it does mean she has her sights on him.)  
  
"Miss Amelia," Sylphiel began again. "Let's…let's not tell Zelgadis about this,   
okay?"  
  
Amelia only nodded. The last thing Zelgadis needed was to have something else to   
worry about.   
  
They continued to walk in silence.  
  
  
  
Zelgadis walked dully down the road, not in any particular hurry or having any   
particular destination in mind. He just wanted to walk, to do SOMETHING that didn't   
involve too much thinking.   
  
He had enough to think about.   
  
At least now he knew. He didn't have to wonder anymore. He knew how his   
mother felt about him.  
  
(Cepheid damn you, Rezo,) he thought angrily. Of all things Rezo had taken away   
from him; his face, his life, his free will; now he got to add his mother to that list.   
  
And his sister… Where was she? Why would she leave? Where would she go?   
He had been tempted to open her letter as well and see if there were any clues there, but   
decided against it. If her letter was anything like his, he knew it was very private;   
something between his mother and his sister alone.  
  
So what was he supposed to do now? He still didn't have his cure. His mother   
was dead and buried. His sister was missing. Perhaps things would have been better if he   
hadn't come back.  
  
(No, not better. Just easier. Ignorance is bliss,) he thought. No, it was right of him   
to come here, if for no other reason than to be done with it. And if his sister WAS out   
there, there was still a chance of seeing her again. After all, there's no reason he couldn't   
search for his cure AND his sister, right?  
  
"Too many new priorities," he mumbled to himself. He remembered 'the good o'l   
days' when all he had to worry about was finding his cure. Those days were over.  
  
Sylphiel.  
  
She was the biggest priority in his life now. Even if he found his cure, it wouldn't   
change her opinion of him, and that was precious…and he knew it. He still hated being a   
chimera. He still hated the stares, the looks, the comments…  
  
But it wasn't such a horrible thing as long as she could smile at him.  
  
And he'd do just about anything to make sure that didn't change.  
  
She was his family now. She and Lina and Gourry and Amelia.   
  
Xellos could be the creepy uncle they kept locked in the basement…  
  
He actually smiled at that thought. He wasn't alone, no matter how lonely things   
might seem.  
  
He looked up as he noticed that he was reentering the village. He must have turned   
around at some point and started back without realizing it. The chimera started for the inn.   
There was nothing for him here now, and it was time to get going.   
  
He WOULD search for his sister. If for no other reason than to deliver his mother's   
letter to her.  
  
Passing the tavern, he noticed that parts of it were burnt or demolished. He blinked   
and walked into the general store. They'd need supplies for the three-day hike to   
Dorosland.   
  
The elderly shopkeeper looked up as he entered and took a step back. Zelgadis   
arched an eyebrow but didn't think anything of it. He was used to that reaction.  
  
"Okay, now, don't want no trouble or nuth'n," the shopkeep, the same man who had   
talked to Sylphiel earlier, told him. "I know you're mad as all hell and all, but I ain't done   
nuth'n."  
  
Zelgadis ignored him and started searching the shelves.  
  
"Your quarrel's with Darsk, not me!" the shopkeep continued in his rant.  
  
The chimera blinked. Darsk? He remembered him. He had been one of Zelgadis'   
'friends' growing up, a boy who had always enjoyed teasing the younger, weaker   
Greywords.   
  
"What do you mean?" Zelgadis asked, noncommittally.   
  
"Look, son, I know you're pissed about what happened with your lady friend   
earlier, but I ain't had nuth'n to do with it!" the shopkeep went on.  
  
An alarm went off in Zelgadis' head. He grit his teeth and started towards the   
merchant. "Tell me," he growled.  
  
"Darsk and his friends. They saw your lady friend walking out of here; the one   
with the long hair. I saw it from the porch. Looked like they were giving her a hard time   
or something in front of the tavern where they hang out. She slapped him, and he grabbed   
her arm. After that this…Hey, where you go'in?"  
  
Zelgadis was storming out the door.  
  
  
  
Darsk Landtree tipped back another beer and shifted the pool cue in his hands. He   
was still smarting from the burn that little witch gave him earlier. He growled at the   
memory and leaned over the pool table for his next shot. Daylight entered the dimly lit   
tavern as someone opened the door. It was gone a second later, and Darsk blinked for a   
few seconds, waiting for his eyes to readjust to the dimness.   
  
He pulled the cue back and prepared to take his shot.   
  
That's when someone grabbed him by the hair and rammed his face into the pool   
table.  
  
He hit the ground, dazed and looked up to find the monster looming over him. He   
started to back away, pushing away with his hands and feet. The farmer saw one of his   
friends rush up behind the chimera and swing his pool cue over his head, breaking it over   
the back of the monster's skull.  
  
Zelgadis didn't even blink. He turned, grabbed the man by the collar, and gave him   
a sharp head-butt to the nose. Blood from the drunk's face sprayed out, getting all over the   
chimera's clothes, and he screamed. Zelgadis threw him back against the wall.   
  
Darsk's other friend rushed up to the chimera and swung out with his hand. The   
knife he held made a sharp clang as the blade broke against Zelgadis' chest. The monster   
viciously grabbed the man's wrist with one hand while reaching to his belt with the other.   
He bent the man over backwards, pinning his hand to the pool table, and swung with his   
other hand, burying his dagger through the man's palm and five inches into the table,   
sticking the drunk to the tabletop like a butterfly to a case. The man screamed and tried   
pulling the knife out with his other hand, but couldn't get enough leverage.   
  
Zelgadis turned back to Darsk and started toward him again. The farmer gulped   
and started backing away again.  
  
"Come on, man," he began in a panic. "We…We were just playing around…"  
  
Zelgadis took another step and drew his sword slowly.  
  
"We weren't gonna hurt her or nuth'n," Darsk whimpered, still backing away. "We   
were just teasing!"  
  
The chimera pointed the sword at the man's throat. Darsk whimpered and felt a   
warm wetness downstairs. He was shaking in fear that this monster was going to gut him   
like a fish, and now, to add to the humiliation, he had just pissed his pants.  
  
"We were just teasing her a little. I swear to Cepheid!" Darsk begged. "I swear!"  
  
Zelgadis looked down at him, then moved his sword to his left hand. He reached   
down with his right and offered his hand to the man.  
  
Darsk looked at it suspiciously and back to Zelgadis' face, a face that betrayed no   
emotion whatsoever. The chimera said nothing, but kept his hand out, offering the man a   
hand up. The farmer reached out tentatively and took his stone hand. Zelgadis began to   
pull the man up, and stopped at about six inches.  
  
Then he began to squeeze.  
  
The farmer began to cry out in pain as the bones in his hand began to break. He   
reached up with his other hand and tried to pry the chimera's off, but to no avail. He   
whimpered pathetically as the bones continued cracking.  
  
Finally, the monster spoke, quietly and in a deadly serious tone, he said, "I don't   
care what you do or say to me anymore." He paused for a second. "But if I ever hear   
about you harassing Sylphiel Nels Lahda again, I'll come back here and kill you." Darsk   
whimpered. "Do you understand?"  
  
The farmer nodded vigorously, tears running down his face. Zelgadis released him,   
and Darsk fell onto his back, cradling the broken extremity with his other hand.   
  
The chimera turned and started out, stopping only briefly to pull his dagger out of   
the pool table and resheathe it. The man it had been pinning fell to the ground, moaning in   
agony.  
  
The other bar patrons watched in awe as the monster left the building.  
  
  
  
"I can't believe you did that."  
  
Zelgadis grit his teeth as he sat on the edge of the bed. What did she want from   
him? It's not like he made that big a deal out of it. He got his message across to them, and   
they knew not to press their luck. Why was SHE taking it so personally?  
  
Sylphiel continued to look out the window, of his room, not facing him. How could   
he do something like that? Did he think beating a bunch of immature pigs to just this side of   
death would PLEASE her?! What did he expect her to do? Hug him and yell, "My hero!?"  
  
He took a breath and bit back a retort. What was her problem? They were nothing   
but drunken gutter trash. From what he had heard, Amelia had given them something to   
think about as well. Why wasn't she being raked over hot coals?  
  
(Doesn't he understand? What if he had gone too far and one of them had died?   
What if *HE* had been hurt? It's not enough I'm responsible for the pain he's going   
through now; I also have to be the cause of someone's death?)   
  
(It's not like I killed any of them. I just gave them a good scare, and they deserved   
it, dammit!)  
  
She took a breath and turned to him. "Zelgadis dear, just tell me why," she   
demanded. "Did you think I'd relish the thought of those men in pain?"  
  
"It had nothing to do with you," Zelgadis told her. "It had to do with them."  
  
"You know I hate the idea of hurting people," she told him exasperated. "Do you   
know how it makes me feel knowing you tortured those men for what amounts to a little bit   
of teasing?"  
  
"I think you're making too much out of it," he told her seriously. "I don't care if   
they thought they were just having a good time. They harassed you, insulted you, and   
grabbed you. Lina would have done the same thing if she were here."  
  
"Lina would have come to ME first and asked me what happened!" Sylphiel cried   
in response. "She wouldn't have flown off the handle and…" She broke off when she   
realized she was going just a bit too far. She closed her eyes and tried to find the right   
thing to say.  
  
She heard him stand up and opened her eyes to find him staring at her, anger and   
hurt all over his face. "I'm not Gourry dear," he growled. "I don't have the luxury of   
being oblivious when someone does something like that."  
  
Sylphiel grit her teeth. "That was low," she breathed angrily.  
  
He walked to the door and left the room. She balled her hand into a fist and hit the   
table, then grabbed some tissues from a box on that same table and dabbed at her eyes.  
  
  
  
Sitting on her bed in the next room, Amelia listened to them fight through the thin   
hotel walls. She could hear the pain in both their voices. It was then that she truly realized   
it. They really did love one another. The argument wouldn't be hurting both of them this   
way if they weren't.  
  
She laid back against the pillows and shut her eyes. She felt a core of ice build up   
in her chest as she thought about it. Perhaps she should have expected this.  
  
The princess thought about their argument a few minutes ago, and for a brief   
second, the idea of exploiting that popped into her head.   
  
She shook her head. How would she live with herself if she TRIED to break them   
up further than they were at the moment? She couldn't, and she wouldn't be able to ever   
face Zelgadis again if she did something like that.  
  
What could she do, though?  
  
She wanted Zelgadis to be happy. To find his cure and maybe…just maybe…see   
her as something other than an overzealous child.   
  
A sob crept up into her throat, and she fought it back. Turning her head, she saw the   
music box that he had given her; the one that had belonged to his mother; resting on the   
nightstand. She reached out and lifted the lid, listening as the slow melody began to play.  
  
The damn broke, not suddenly, but a piece at a time, and the princess of Seyruun   
began to sob quietly, letting tears run down her face. She tried wiping them away with her   
hand, but more took their place.   
  
As the gentle melody continued to play, Amelia cried herself to sleep.  
  
  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
  



	4. Spring! When a Young Mazoku's Fancy Lig...

Slayers is the property of Kadokawa Shoten and Central Park Media.  
  
FILIA: Well, money's money, right? That's how I, Filia Ul Copt, find myself tagging   
along with a group of brain dead humans and…*GROWL*…Xellos… on some ludicrous   
adventure to find Miss Lina and Mister Zelgadis… Now if only that damned Mazoku   
would stop staring at me! I swear! He's been acting so odd lately!  
  
XELLOS: Tea, Filia chan? I made it the way you like it…lots of lemon… *SMILE*  
  
FILIA: ARGH!!! See what I mean?! I know he's up to something, but I can't figure out   
what! There! He's doing it again! He's staring at me with that damn goofy grin on his   
face! *SIGH* Maybe this was a bad idea…  
  
  
Faces: After!  
Part 4  
Spring!  
When a Young Mazoku's Fancy Lightly Turns to Thoughts of Dragons!  
  
  
  
  
*Clack! Click Clack!*  
  
Shadow Lina looked to her left and saw the blonde dragon woman working   
furiously at an abacus. Filia Ul Copt paused for a moment and drew a few numbers in the   
air with her fingers, mouthing the numbers silently as she ciphered them. She must have   
gotten the answer she was looking for because she went right back to working on the   
abacus a moment later.  
  
*Clack! Clack!*  
  
"Um…Miss Dragon Lady?" Shadow Lina began. She and Filia were at the back of   
the small group walking down the country road, their leader/employer boldly leading the   
way. "What are you doing?"  
  
Filia turned to her and smiled. "I have to think about little Val's future, after all.   
So before we left that last town, I took the money Miss Naga gave me and invested it in a   
coffee house. Starluck's!"  
  
Shadow Lina blinked. "Cof…fee?" she asked.  
  
"It's some new beverage that's catching on," Filia replied with a wave of her   
hand. "So, I sunk some money into it and now I'm trying to find out what it'll be worth in a   
few years." She held up the abacus. "See? Even at five percent I'm doing pretty good!"  
  
"My, my, Filia chan!" Xellos remarked, suddenly appearing behind the dragon. "I   
had no idea you were so fiscally minded!"  
  
"Hmmph! Just because Lina and the others spent money like water doesn't mean I   
don't know how to pinch the head off a goldpiece! I need this money for Val's future!"  
  
"How forward-thinking of you!" Xellos applauded.   
  
"Where have you been lately anyway?" Filia asked. "You disappeared right after   
that whole copii incident. Not that *I* minded your absence, but Miss Naga was rather   
irked that she had to pay for her own meal…" She rolled her eyes at the thought.  
  
Xellos smiled. "Ah, yes…I had a few matters to attend to back home."  
  
"I thought you were in exile?" Filia asked with narrowed eyes.  
  
"I'm not exiled," he told her with a wag of his finger. "I'm…On sabbatical!"   
  
"What does that mean?" Shadow Lina asked.  
  
"It means that I have some time off to…take care of a few personal matters, my   
dear," Xellos told her.   
  
"Just say it," Filia admonished him. "You ticked off Metallium, and now you can't   
show your face around that horrible place without her burning it off."  
  
Xellos laughed. "My, Filia chan! You're witty today! Here, let me carry that   
heavy abacus for you!" He took the device from the dragon and carried it.  
  
Filia just blinked, then frowned at him. "What are you up to?"  
  
"Me? Up to something? Whatever could I be up to? I just thought it'd be a nice,   
gentlemanly gesture to carry your abacus for you."  
  
"Aww!" Shadow Lina cried, clapping in delight. "Isn't that sweet, Miss Filia!?"  
  
The golden dragon grit her teeth. She wanted to pound Xellos. She really did. But   
how the hell do you justify flattening someone with a mace for doing something nice?  
  
Of course, considering WHO it was who was being nice, that made the whole   
situation immediately suspicious.  
  
"Side-Kick of Questionable Worth?! Is that you?!" they heard from the front of the   
group.  
  
"Com-ing!" Xellos cried. "I'll just carry this for you, Filia chan," he said, patting   
the abacus. "See you for tea later, perhaps? Ta ta!" With that, he vanished.  
  
Filia shook her head and smacked herself in the cheek. That was NOT just Xellos   
being nice to her…It couldn't have been…  
  
"Isn't he sweet?" Shadow Lina asked, clasping her hands and blushing. "Kind of   
like Lord Jeffrey…"  
  
(It's gotta be a copii…) Filia mused.   
  
  
  
"Side-Kick of Questionable Worth, if you are going to remain my side-kick, you   
simply CANNOT just up and leave whenever you like," Naga chastised Xellos as he   
appeared next to her.  
  
Xellos reached into his robes and pulled out an emerald. "Do forgive me, Miss   
Naga. I was just fetching this for you."  
  
Naga's tongue rolled out of her mouth as she began to salivate at the sight of the   
gem. It was the size of her fist and flawless.  
  
She snatched the gem and shoved it into her pouch. "You're forgiven. Now where   
have you been?"  
  
"If you must know, I was testing the waters back home. It appears that for the time   
being, it'd be better if I remained your Side-Kick of Questionable Worth."  
  
"Excellent!" Naga cried, patting him on the back.  
  
"Yes," Xellos murmured. "I also had the opportunity to do some scouting."  
  
"Oh?" Naga asked. "I know the way well enough. You needn't have bothered."  
  
Xellos reached into his robes again and removed a guidebook. "Oh, so you already   
know about the Goblin fortress of Thregeth…"  
  
She stopped in her tracks. "Pardon?"  
  
The Mazoku flipped the pages of his book and found the right one. He showed a   
picture to the White Serpent and began. "It appears that not far ahead and a few miles to   
the south are the ruins of a Goblin stronghold named Thregeth." Naga grabbed the book   
from him and began to study the pictures…particularly the ones featuring gold and riches.   
"During the War of the Monster's Fall, it was where the Great Goblin Council met to   
discuss strategy. They WERE our allies, after all, and allies that didn't pull their weight   
usually didn't remain our allies for very long, if you know what I mean."  
  
Naga turned the page and found a picture of a Goblin king wearing a ring with a   
pearl the size of a racquetball. She began to drool.  
  
Xellos saw the picture. "Ah, yes. Jareth. Delightful man, but a little too easily   
taken by a pretty face. Anyway, as I recall, it was so well fortified that it's where many of   
the Goblin nobility chose to reside during the war." He grinned. "Then they all died! The   
end!"  
  
The sorceress blinked. "What do you mean?"  
  
Xellos smiled at her. "We came to the conclusion that the Goblins were not pulling   
their weight." His smile widened into a dangerous grin.  
  
"I see."  
  
"But it's all still there. Underground. Just some damp walls, dusty corridors, and   
all those Goblin skeletons, unchanged since the day they died."  
  
The White Serpent smiled. "Unchanged, you say?"  
  
"Definitely."  
  
"So they'd still be wearing all the jewelry they died with?"  
  
"I would assume so. As long as no one's disturbed the site. But with it being   
underground and hidden, what are the odds of that?"  
  
"HUDDLE!!" Naga screamed. In seconds, her gang was arranged in a huddle. She   
heard Shadow Lina and Jeffrey bump heads and apologize to each other; the signal that the   
meeting had officially begun. "Side-Kick of Questionable Worth here has just informed me   
of a potential treasure located in that direction." She reached out of the huddle and pointed   
south, telling them quickly about the hidden fortress.  
  
"I thought we were trying to find Miss Lina and the others?" Filia asked, blinking.  
  
"We are!" Naga shot back. "And if I know Lina the way I do, then there's a chance   
she's in there taking MY treasure! Little thief…"  
  
"Miss Naga!" Jeffrey threw in, "If you're right, then we should move fast! That   
fortress sounds like the perfect place for an ambush! They might be in trouble!"  
  
"That's the spirit, Jeffrey!" Naga cried, slapping him on the back.   
  
"You're amazing, Lord Jeffrey!" Shadow Lina cried.  
  
Filia rubbed her temples and sighed in annoyance.   
  
"Do you have a headache, Filia chan?" Xellos asked. He held out a couple of   
pills. "Would you like some aspirin?"  
  
"No…thank you," Filia bit out. Who knew what those pills did?  
  
"Then we're in agreement!" the White Serpent cried. "TREASURE HO!   
OOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!"  
  
  
  
"Okay, Jeffrey! A little to the left now!" Naga called out, double checking the map   
in Xellos' guidebook.  
  
Fifty feet away, standing in what appeared to be an ordinary field, Jeffrey took   
three steps to his left.  
  
The rest of the group was huddled around Naga as she checked over the map again.   
She adjusted her sunglasses and looked up at where Jeffrey was. "Okay! Now take two   
steps forward!"  
  
Jeffrey complied.  
  
"Miss Naga?" Shadow Lina began, "Is it really safe for Lord Jeffrey to be out   
there?"  
  
"Oh, perfectly safe!" Naga assured her with a smile.  
  
"Then why are we all hiding on this end of the field?" the shadow asked her.  
  
"Um…For safety!" Naga explained. "Okay, Jeffrey! Now one step to the right!"   
Jeffrey complied. "Good! Right there! Now, jump up and down!"  
  
Out in the field, the young, would-be knight began to jump up and down.  
  
"This is ridiculous!" Filia cried. "What is that supposed to do!?"  
  
Jeffrey cried out and suddenly disappeared.  
  
"Lord Jeffrey!" Shadow Lina cried fearfully.  
  
Naga slammed the book shut and smiled. "Found it!" She marched out into the   
field in Jeffrey's direction. Soon, they were standing around a large hole exactly where the   
young man had been standing. Broken pieces of rotten wood surrounded the hole,   
suggesting that there had been a door there before Jeffrey had fallen through it. They   
looked down and found the 'warrior' sitting on the dirt floor twenty feet down. He looked   
up at them.  
  
"Look, Miss Naga! I found the entrance!"  
  
"Excellent work, Jeffrey!" Naga announced. She held out her hand. "LIGHTING!"   
A ball of light appeared in her hand. She began to climb down.  
  
  
  
The tunnel they had found was merely an antechamber. Before long, the gang of   
unbeatable heroes found themselves in a much larger cavern.   
  
"We must have gone down farther than we thought," Shadow Lina remarked,   
looking up at the high ceiling of the cave almost a hundred feet up. Broken pieces of   
ladders were strewn about the floor, probably leading to the several holes and doorways   
that littered that sides of the caves at different heights.  
  
"Miss Naga! Look what I found!" Jeffrey called out. Naga took her lighting spell   
towards the voice, leaving Filia temporarily in darkness.  
  
"Allow me," she heard as she fumbled for a light spell of her own. A red light   
washed over her face from the gem in Xellos' staff. He was smiling.  
  
"Er…thank you," the dragon said. She felt another headache coming on.  
  
"Hmmm," she heard from behind her. She turned and found Naga inspecting a   
large hole in the floor ten meters across. She took a breath and made a few hocking noises.   
Then spit into it. She listened.  
  
Nothing.  
  
"Excellent!" she cried. "OOOOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!! This must be where   
they've hidden their treasures!"  
  
"What makes you say that?" Shadow Lina asked.  
  
"Because no one would hide their valuables near the entrance! It must be down   
there!" She stood on the edge of the chasm. "LEVITATION!" Slowly, the White Serpent   
began to float down into the hole.  
  
Without warning, there was a suddenly whoosh of air! Naga shot out of the hole   
and into the ceiling!   
  
Then fell to the floor…  
  
"Ouch," Jeffrey remarked.  
  
Naga weakly stood up and dusted herself off. She growled and marched back to the   
hole. She looked into it and pointed her hands downward. "FIREBALL!" A ball of flame   
leapt from her hands and down into the pit. There was another whoosh of air, and the   
fireball was stopped cold, immobilized until it finally dissipated.  
  
"Miss Naga?" Shadow Lina asked.  
  
"It's a defense mechanism," Naga told them. "It feeds off the magic energy that   
enters it and uses that energy for that wind spell."  
  
"So…if we don't use magic we're okay?" the redhead asked.  
  
"Something like that. Here, help me."  
  
While Jeffrey and Shadow Lina helped the White Serpent, Filia was standing off to   
the side, looking at the pictures painted on the walls.  
  
"Filia chan!"  
  
She looked up and found Xellos standing in the entrance of one of the caves about   
sixty feet up. "I think I found something you might be interested in. Come up here."  
  
The golden dragon growled and turned back to the wall, ignoring him.  
  
"Filia chan! Filia chan!" the Mazoku continued to call out. "Filia chan! Can you   
hear me!? Filia chan! Filia chan! Filia chaaaaaaaaaaaaan!"  
  
"All right, dammit!" the blonde shouted back. "I'm coming! Just shut up!" She   
disappeared in a flash of golden light and reappeared next to him in the cave doorway, only   
an inch from the ledge. Xellos reached out and steadied her.  
  
"Careful," he warned.   
  
"So what's so important it couldn't wait?" Filia asked him.  
  
"This way," Xellos told her, walking deeper into the cave.  
  
The dragon sighed and gave up, following the Mazoku priest inside.  
  
  
  
The pulley creaked as Naga and Shadow Lina strained, slowly lowering the   
hapless young man into the hole.  
  
Jeffrey, suspended by the rope hooked to his belt, waved a torch around as he   
descended. So far there was nothing to see. Just the stone walls. He pointed the torch   
downward but couldn't make anything out.  
  
"Lord Jeffrey, are you okay?" Shadow Lina called down.  
  
"Yeah, I'm okay," he shouted back. "Keep going."  
  
"That young man is going on a diet," Naga bit out as she strained against the rope.  
  
"You know," they heard from the pit, "It's a good thing you had me along." The   
two girls ignored him, concentrating on lowering him. "I mean, neither one of you would   
have lasted this far."  
  
Naga arched an eyebrow.  
  
"It's dark," he told them. "And there are spiders…"  
  
"Spiders?!" Shadow Lina squeaked, letting go of the rope. Naga oomph'd as the   
entire sum of the boy's wait was suddenly placed in her hands, but managed to keep the   
boy from falling.  
  
"Yeah," Jeffrey called back. "You girls are lucky to have a brave heroic man   
along to take care of stuff like this for you."  
  
Naga grit her teeth, smiled, and let go of the rope.  
  
The pulley squealed loudly as twenty feet of rope ran through it in a few seconds.   
There was a loud *THUD!*, and it stopped.  
  
The White Serpent looked down the hole. "Oh, Lord Jeffrey!" she squeaked.   
"Forgive me! I guess it was just too much for a weak little girl like me!"  
  
"No…problem…Miss Naga…" Jeffrey weakly called back.  
  
  
  
Filia looked around the chamber and shrugged. "It's empty," she stated. "Why is   
this so important."  
  
"Filia chan, I must admit, there is nothing here," Xellos told her with a sigh.   
  
The blonde's hand went to her mace. "What are you up to?" she asked   
dangerously. He wouldn't hurt her…right? He could've done that at any time…right?  
  
"I just want to talk to you, Filia chan," Xellos said with a smile. "Alone."  
  
Filia took a step back towards the exit. Xellos didn't seem to notice. She turned   
and ran towards the exit, only to find him standing there. He smiled. "Where are you   
going, Little Dragon?" he asked.  
  
"I don't know what you want," she growled, lifting her mace. "But if you take one   
step towards me, I'll…"  
  
"I'm not going to hurt you, Filia chan," he replied, his grin never wavering. "I told   
you. I just want to talk."  
  
"Talk about what?" the dragon asked, not lowering her mace.   
  
"Us."  
  
"What us?! What are you talking about?!"  
  
"Filia chan," he said sweetly, taking a step toward her. "As you know, I recently   
took a trip home…"  
  
"Yeah?! So?!"  
  
"Do you know what time of year it is on Wolfpack Island right now?" he asked   
her. She shook her head. "It's spring, Filia chan. When a young Mazoku's fancy lightly   
turns to thoughts of love."  
  
Filia blinked. Then laughed out loud. "Oh, I'm just sure it is!" she cried bitterly.   
"Mazoku are incapable of feeling anything like that! Joke's over, Xellos! Now get out of   
my way!"  
  
He didn't move. "Truthfully, yes. Mazoku cannot feel love in the same way other   
races do." He took another step forward. "But I'm not just talking about that primitive   
emotion." The trickster priest bent down until his face was an inch from Filia's. "I'm   
talking about passion…fire…" He grinned evilly. "Animal lust…"  
  
Filia gulped and took a step back.  
  
"You see, Filia chan, when I returned to Wolfpack Island, it suddenly dawned on   
me… I'm more than a thousand years old."  
  
"S…So?" she asked, unnerved.  
  
He took another step forward, not allowing her to get away. "So…I've reached   
Peak without even realizing it."  
  
"What's Peak?" she asked.  
  
"Peak, my dear Filia chan, is the point in a Mazoku's life when he or she seeks out   
a suitable mate." He grinned at her.  
  
She took a step back. "And this affects me how…?"  
  
His grin widened. "Because, Little Dragon, I've decided that you are to be the   
mother of my children."  
  
  
  
"Well where the hell have Side-Kick of Questionable Worth and my Deus Ex   
Machina got to?!" Naga cried as she descended and hit the ground next to Jeffrey. She   
tugged the rope twice, and Shadow Lina began to come down herself.  
  
She waved the torch around and frowned. "And where the hell is the treasure?!"  
  
"It must be down here," Jeffrey said, pointing down a narrow corridor.   
  
Someone squeaked behind them, and they turned to see Shadow Lina sitting on the   
ground next to the rope, rubbing her backside. "Itai…"  
  
"Are you okay, Miss Lina?" Jeffrey asked, offering her a hand.  
  
Shadow Lina blushed and looked away. "Thank you, Lord Jeffrey," she murmured   
quietly, taking his hand.  
  
"BARF!" Naga shouted. "Let's find the treasure and get out of here, okay!?"  
  
The swordsman and sorceress stood up and followed as Naga started down the   
corridor.  
  
  
  
Xellos dodged another swing of the mace, which ended up taking out a chunk of the   
stone wall behind him. "There! You see?! This is why I chose you, Little Dragon!"  
  
Filia screamed and swung again!  
  
"You're so beautiful when you lose your temper!" Xellos remarked as he ducked   
again. "And your emotional state is just right! Like fine wine!" He jumped to the side as   
the spiked implement of destruction hit the wall next to him and stuck there.  
  
The dragon tugged at the handle of the mace, trying to dislodge it, but this time she   
had swung too hard. The weapon wasn't going anywhere without help. She turned as   
Xellos appeared behind her.   
  
"Oh, allow me," he said, reaching out and pulling the mace out of the wall. He   
handed it to her.  
  
"Oh, thank you very much," Filia told him with a smile. She grit her teeth and   
started swinging again. The priest went back to dodging her attacks.  
  
"Really, Filia chan! I realize you're excited, but it's just not right for us to go this   
far in our relationship yet," he told her.  
  
The dragon paused for a moment, panting for breath. "Keep…your   
dirty…claws…off of me…Mazoku…" she gasped out in exhaustion.  
  
He clucked at her. "Filia chan, honestly, do you think I'd take you by force?"  
  
She pointed her mace at him.  
  
The Mazoku looked hurt. "We're going to be together for eternity," he told her. "I   
wouldn't want to start our relationship with that. I want you to come to me."  
  
"AND THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN!" she shrieked.  
  
"Ooh! I like that!" Xellos told her. "Do it again!"  
  
She screamed in frustration.  
  
"That's the stuff," Xellos sighed in contentment.  
  
"You must be insane!" Filia cried. "That's it, isn't it?! Metallium lobotomized   
you as a punishment, didn't she?!"  
  
Xellos put his finger to his lip in thought. "No…Then again, if she did, it's not like   
I'd REMEMBER it…."  
  
"Why me?" she growled. "Go find some horrible Mazoku woman to bear your   
monsters for you!"  
  
He frowned. "Normally, that's the acceptable thing to do, however…"  
  
"However?"  
  
"They're all skanks," he said detestedly. "And I can't talk to any of them the way I   
do with you, Filia chan."  
  
"Since when do we talk?!"  
  
"All the time!"  
  
Filia rubbed her temple again. She felt cold hands on either side of her head and   
opened her eyes to find Xellos rubbing them for her.   
  
"There there," he cooed.  
  
She screamed and swung her mace again. The Mazoku disappeared and   
reappeared again nearby. "Look," she bit out, trying desperately to gain control of the   
situation. "As…flattered…as I am by the proposal, it just wouldn't work out."  
  
"Why not?" he asked.  
  
"Well…for one thing, you're a Mazoku and I hate you."  
  
"See?! We already have something in our favor! If we have hate, Filia chan, we   
have EVERYTHING!"  
  
She growled. "And I'm a dragon," she bit out, "And I will ALWAYS hate you!"  
  
"I'm still not seeing the problem," he told her with a shrug.  
  
"We're not compatible!" she cried.  
  
"Compatible?" he mused. He brightened a moment later. "Oh! You're concerned   
about the PHYSICAL aspect of our relationship!"  
  
"No, I'm…"  
  
"Worry not, dear Little Dragon!" he cried. "I can easily take care of that. I AM a   
Mazoku, after all. A body is merely a cape to be worn or tossed aside at will! If you   
prefer, once we're mated, I could look like this…" He broke off as he began to grow,   
simultaneously changing shape and color. Wings and a tail sprouted from his back. Within   
a minute, Xellos, as she knew him, was no longer there.  
  
He was standing there as a dragon. A golden dragon.  
  
Filia's breath caught in her throat. He was by far the most magnificent male she   
had ever seen in her life. The horns on top of his head were straight and sharp. His wings   
were smooth and flawless….  
  
And he had a tail she could just sink her teeth into…  
  
In human terms, if Mel Gibson were a dragon…  
  
He'd still have nothing on Xellos.  
  
(IT'S STILL XELLOS!!!) her mind screamed at her.  
  
The dragon smiled down at her. "Do you prefer this form, Filia chan?" Xellos   
asked her.  
  
(Oh, dear Cepheid, even his smile is perfect…)  
  
She suddenly found him leaning closer to her. "Hmmm?" he asked. "We could   
nestle together in a warm cave while the rain falls outside, out tails intertwined and playing   
with one another…"  
  
Filia shivered, but managed to get a hold of herself. She bit her lip and looked up   
at him. "It still wouldn't work," she stated firmly.  
  
The golden dragon before her blinked. "No?" he asked. He hmm'd and searched   
his mind for an answer. "Ah! I get it! I see now!" he cried. "You're   
more…unorthodox…" He grinned. "I should have guessed. You would much rather I   
look…."  
  
There was a flash of light, and suddenly, instead of a dragon, Lina Inverse stood   
before her. Filia blinked.  
  
"…Like this…" Lina smiled.   
  
The priestess' eyes went wide. "What the…"  
  
Lina-Xellos grinned and sashayed towards her, placing his-her hands on her   
shoulders. "I wasn't aware before, Filia chan," Lina-Xellos told her. "But if you prefer it   
this way, gender doesn't mean much of anything to the Mazoku…"  
  
Filia shut her eyes and grit her teeth. She took a deep breath and…  
  
"I AM NOT A LESBIAN!!!"  
  
The echo reverberated through the entire cavern.  
  
LESBIAN!!!!  
  
LESBIAN!  
  
Lesbian!  
  
Lesbian…  
  
  
  
Shadow Lina looked up and blinked as she heard it. "That sounded like Miss   
Dragon Lady," she pondered.  
  
"Miss Naga, what's a lesbian?" Jeffrey asked.  
  
"Remember the original Lina?" Naga asked him with a smile. He nodded.   
"THAT'S a lesbian!" she informed him.  
  
"Ohhh!" Jeffrey and Shadow Lina replied.   
  
"Well now that the two of you are caught up, let's split up and look for that   
treasure!" They had entered a hub of some kind. Corridors led off in several different   
directions. "We'll meet back here in an hour with whatever you find, got it?"  
  
They nodded and started down two different tunnels. Naga threw her hair back and   
marched confidently into another, her laugh echoing throughout the entire cavern.   
  
  
  
"Okay, so I was wrong," Xellos, now back to his human form, said with a shrug.   
"No need to be insulted…"  
  
Filia, meanwhile, was growling in barely repressed rage. "I don't care what kind   
of forms you can take," she hissed. "I want nothing to do with you! Your presence is   
repulsive to me!"  
  
He smiled at her. "Filia chan, you seem to be under the impression that I'm asking   
for your permission. This isn't so. We are going to be together, and you are going to bear   
my children. It's already written in the stars. The sooner you accept it, the better."  
  
"What are you talking about?!" Filia growled at him.  
  
"I had a little talk with Fate and…"  
  
She glared at him. "Fate?" she asked.  
  
"Oh yes! Delightful woman…for a Shinzoku…but she DID owe me a favor, so…"  
  
The dragon balled her hands into fists and grit her teeth. "I don't believe in fate,"   
she said quietly. "I believe in free will…"  
  
"Of course you do," Xellos told her, patting her on the head. "But it won't change   
anything. The universe itself will make sure that we're always together."  
  
"I'll fly away," she told him smugly.  
  
"As if I couldn't catch you?" Xellos winked.  
  
"I'll blast you into pieces," she hissed.   
  
"Bigger dragons than you have tried," he reminded her.  
  
She growled again.  
  
"Are you aware of how sexy you sound when you do that, Little Dragon?" he asked   
her with an arched eyebrow.  
  
She swung her mace again.  
  
"Now, Filia chan, surely it wouldn't be THAT bad," he said. "Wouldn't you LIKE   
someone to be there at the end of the day? Someone to make you a cup of tea and rub your   
cute dragon feet and ask about your day? I can do all that…"  
  
Filia took a breath. "Listen to me," she said quietly, her voice on a razor's edge.   
"I…will…NEVER…marry you."  
  
Xellos thought on this and frowned. "Would the other dragons approve of you   
having children out of wedlock?"  
  
She screamed and launched herself at him, swinging her mace wildly. This was it!   
He had finally pushed her over the edge with that smartass mouth of his! She was going to   
pound that face of his into jelly if it took her forever! Hell! She might just agree to marry   
him just so she'd have the CHANCE!!!  
  
Xellos dodged every attack expertly, but making no offensive moves of his own.   
Instead, he basked in the torrent of emotions Filia chan was sending his way, feeding off   
them. It made him feel so special when she did that…  
  
"YOU'RE AN ANATHEMA!" she screamed. "A HORRIBLE CREATURE   
THAT LIVES OFF THE SUFFERING OF OTHERS!!!"  
  
"Stop it! I'm blushing!" Xellos cried.  
  
She stopped, panting in exertion. "I don't care what you or Fate says!" she cried at   
him. "I'll die before I let you touch me!"  
  
He disappeared and reappeared behind her, laying a single finger on her shoulder.  
  
"Touch," he said.  
  
She screamed.  
  
  
  
Shadow Lina looked up at the stone ceiling and hmm'd. "I hope Miss Dragon Lady   
is okay," she mused. She looked around at the large room she found herself in. There   
were shelves of books, most of them degraded into dust by now, lining the walls. Nothing   
that Miss Naga would consider treasure, though.  
  
Her gaze fell on one book in particular, a leather-bound volume that seemed to be   
immune to the exposure and time that had destroyed the others, for it sat there, still intact.   
She pulled it from the shelf and looked at the title.   
  
"C…Care?" she read, squinting down at it. The title was smudged, worn away.   
Apparently, time's touch was not TOTALLY unwelcome. "Care….B..Bi…Bears?"  
  
She looked up and blinked.  
  
"Care Bears?"  
  
  
  
"This…SO…blows," Naga muttered, checking yet another room.   
Nothing….AGAIN. She sighed and started down the corridor. Oh, there were plenty of   
goblin skeletons, but they were peons, the most expensive things on their bodies were their   
rawhide shirts.   
  
(Mental note,) she thought to herself. (Beat up Side-Kick of Questionable   
Worth…)  
  
She was almost back to the hub when she heard something. The sound of metal   
clanking together.   
  
(GOLD! JEWELS! JEFFREY AND SHADOW LINA FOUND SOMETHING!   
SCORE!!!) She entered the hub and stopped in her tracks.  
  
Jeffrey looked up and smiled. "Miss Naga! Take a look at all the cool treasure I   
found!"  
  
Naga's face fell.  
  
"Yeah! I found this cool set of goblin armor! And this sweet scimitar!" He made   
a few movements with the sword, trying to fake a kata. "And I got this cool chain mail!   
And check out this helmet!" He pointed to the horned helm atop his head.  
  
"Great, Jeffrey," Naga muttered. "You moronic sap," she mumbled.  
  
She realized what she had said three seconds after saying it and covered her mouth   
with her hand. The wind began to blow from one of the tunnels.   
  
"Oh no!"  
  
She looked back and saw a pair of glowing red eyes at the other end of the dark   
corridor.   
  
Suddenly, they were rushing towards her. Naga began to backpedal desperately.  
  
"MY JEFFREY IS NOT A SAP!!!" she heard Josephine cry. "MATERNAL   
INSTINCT CORKSCREW ATTACK!!!"  
  
A large woman holding a large mallet came fling out of the corridor, spinning like a   
broken arrow!  
  
Naga screamed.  
  
*WHAM!!!!*  
  
"Bye, tourist lady!" Jeffrey called with a wave as Josephine disappeared back   
down the corridor. He looked to his right and found Naga imbedded into the wall,   
unconscious.   
  
  
  
"What do I have to do to get it through your head that I don't want to be your mate?"   
Filia asked him quietly. She was sitting on the ground, her eyes closed, rubbing her   
temples with her fingertips.   
  
"Well, I'm sure Gourry doesn't want to be a moron, but wishing something doesn't   
make it true, now does it?" Xellos retorted.  
  
Her eyes flashed as she looked up at him. "Okay, let's look at this logically…"  
  
"Oh good! Logic!" Xellos said, clapping his hands together. He sighed and   
mumbled, "That almost sometimes works…"  
  
She ignored him. "You say that you and I are predestined to be mates," she stated.  
  
"Correct."  
  
"There's nothing I can do about it."  
  
"Likewise correct."  
  
"BUT," she went on, "You also say that I have to come to you."  
  
"Er…yes…"  
  
"So…your whole lame plan depends on me somehow falling desperately in love   
with you and agreeing to all this sometime down the road."  
  
"True…" he said.   
  
"Then all I have to do to get out of this is never agree?"  
  
Xellos thought for a few moments. "That is so."  
  
She looked up at him. "And that doesn't strike you as a fatal flaw in your plan?"  
  
He shrugged. "Fate said it would happen. Which means that one day you'll come   
to me and beg to be my mate."   
  
The dragon stood up. "Fine. If…IF…one day, I am THAT desperate for someone,   
that I would actually go out and get DRUNK enough for you to be counted as a possible   
suitor and go to you…I'll be your mate."  
  
"There! See?! That wasn't so hard!" Xellos said, smiling.  
  
"Now, I'm going back outside and find someplace where I can clean the slime of   
the last couple of hours off. Excuse me." She walked past him and out the door.  
  
Xellos smiled. "Ah, Xellos, you truly are a dragon's Mazoku." With that, he   
disappeared.  
  
  
  
"Wow, Miss Naga," Jeffrey huffed. "You need to go on a diet." He continued to   
drag the unconscious sorceress by the feet, face down, through the corridor towards the   
rope leading to the entrance. He finally reached the line and dropped her, wiping the sweat   
off his brow.  
  
"Lord Jeffrey!" he heard behind him. He turned and found Shadow Lina trotting up   
to him.  
  
"Hi, Miss Lina!" Jeffrey called with a wave.  
  
Shadow Lina blushed, then blinked and gasped when she saw Naga. "What   
happened?!"  
  
"Miss Naga was hit by a tourist," Jeffrey told her. "So I hoisted her onto my back   
and carried her here to safety!"  
  
The shadow went starry eyed as a mental picture of Jeffrey carrying Naga over his   
shoulder through flames and devious booby-traps sprang to mind.   
  
"Here, help me tether her to the line."  
  
  
  
Filia appeared next to the hole in a flash of golden light. She sighed, thankful that   
her ordeal was over. She turned and found Jeffrey and Shadow Lina pulling on a rope   
leading down into the hole. They grunted with effort.   
  
(Perhaps they actually found treasure?) Filia asked herself.   
  
That's when she heard it.  
  
*WHACK!* "Ow! Hey! That hurts!" *WHAM!* "ARGH!"  
  
"Sorry, Miss Naga!" Jeffrey and Shadow Lina called down into the hole. Filia   
rushed to the edge and looked down. Suspended by the foot, Naga was swaying to and fro,   
striking the wall every time Jeffrey and Shadow Lina tugged on the rope.  
  
"Okay, let's try again!" Jeffrey called. "HEAVE!" The two pulled.  
  
*WHACK!* "DAMN!!!"  
  
"Sorry, Miss Naga!"  
  
"Oh, screw this!! LEVITATION!!"  
  
*WHOOOOOSH!!!!*  
  
"Oh crap! The air trap!" the sorceress yelled. "AIIIIIIIIIII!!!"  
  
The White Serpent shot out of the hole like a bullet out of a gun, striking the stone   
ceiling, AGAIN, and then the floor…AGAIN.  
  
"Miss Naga, this place is scary. Can we go now?" Shadow Lina asked.  
  
Naga's eyes were pointing in two different directions, and her head wobbled from   
side to side. "Sure thing, Stony! Just let me grab my golf clubs!"   
  
Then she passed out.  
  
  
  
The sun was going down by the time the band of unbeatable heroes made it back to   
the road. Naga led the way, not quite as enthusiastic as she was that morning.   
  
"No treasure," she grumbled. "No gold. No jewels. No nuth'n. I give up…"  
  
"The day wasn't a total loss," Xellos piped up. "Filia chan and I got engaged!"   
He pulled the dragon closer to himself in emphasis.  
  
Filia shrieked and took out her mace!  
  
"You're going to get married, Miss Dragon Lady?!" Shadow Lina cried in delight.  
  
"No! I am most certainly not!"  
  
"Then…what?" the redhead asked, confused.  
  
"Call it a deal with the devil, if you must," she sniffed.  
  
Naga, however, was not consoled. "Nothing," she grumbled again. "Nothing at   
all…"  
  
"Well, I found that armor and this wicked-cool helmet!" Jeffrey called out,   
pointing at his head again.  
  
"Um…I found a book," Shadow Lina threw in.  
  
Naga stopped in her tracks. "A helmet?" she asked. "A BOOK?!"  
  
"Um…Is that bad?" Shadow Lina asked.  
  
The White Serpent threw her a withering look. Shadow Lina recoiled.   
  
"I'm sorry!"  
  
"Nevermind," Naga grumbled and started down the road again.  
  
"So…I can keep it?"  
  
Naga waved the question aside. "Whatever!"  
  
Shadow Lina smiled. Sure, it wasn't anything special, but she was glad to have a   
souvenir of today's adventure. She dug into her pouch and removed the leather-bound   
volume. She blinked and noticed that some of the dirt and grime had come off, revealing a   
few more letters of the title.  
  
"Oh," she whispered in realization. "Not 'Care Bears,' 'CLAIRE Bears!'" She   
paused and looked up "That makes even less sense…."  
  
She shrugged and put it back in her pouch.  
  
"Oh well! Whatever!"  
  
  
  
To Be Continued…  



	5. Ambushed! More Villains?!

Slayers is the property of Kadokawa Shoten.  
  
  
GOURRY: Gourry Gabriev here! It's my turn to do the introduction….since Zelgadis took   
off…and Sylphiel went with him….and Amelia followed them…..and Lina's in the   
bathroom…. Anyway! Lina and I are on the road to Dorosland! But…I think she might be   
sick… She's been acting funny lately…  
  
LINA: Gourry? Why are you looking at that woman over there?  
  
GOURRY: Um…No reason… See what I mean? To make matters worse, I think we're   
being followed. Yareyare…We just can't seem to catch a break!  
  
Faces: After!  
Part 5  
Ambushed!  
More Villains?!  
  
  
  
"I can't believe they'd go and do this!" Lina remarked as she read the letter again.   
"First Zelgadis decides to run off, and you just KNOW that Sylphiel took off after him, and   
now Amelia too!?" She looked across the table at the blonde swordsman. "I'm surprised   
YOU'RE still here!"  
  
Gourry paused, his forkful of pancakes only an inch from his mouth. "Why would I   
go?" he asked in puzzlement.  
  
Lina sighed. "Dammit, I never did talk to Amelia. I guess she's going to find out   
the hard way." She looked up and saw Gourry open his mouth for a question. "And don't   
ask! I don't wanna talk about it right now!" Gourry closed his mouth again. "I guess we'll   
just meet them in Dorosland and fireball them when they get there…"  
  
"Cheer up, Lina!" Gourry cried. "It'll be just like old times!"  
  
The redhead blinked and actually chuckled at this. "Yeah, I guess you're right.   
We've been a group for so long, I almost forgot that you and I used to travel alone." She   
looked up at him and smiled. It had been ages ago, and a lot had changed since then.  
  
She reached out suddenly and snagged three of his hotcakes off his plate, ramming   
them into her mouth and chewing quickly before the hapless swordsman was even aware   
that a large part of his breakfast was missing!  
  
"Hey!" Gourry cried.  
  
But not EVERYTHING…  
  
  
  
What amazed Lina Inverse that morning wasn't the sudden disappearance of her   
friends, or that it rained suddenly as they were leaving Atlas City; it was the silence that   
suddenly seemed to fall over them. She suddenly found herself without Amelia's bubbly   
speeches or Zelgadis' sighs, or Sylphiel's almost maternal reminders.   
  
It was just her and Gourry.  
  
Her and Gourry…  
  
Alone…  
  
On the road…  
  
Her and Gourry…  
  
(Yeah, I get it!) she shouted at her mind. (I'm all alone with Gourry! Thanks for   
the reminder!)  
  
(Well, I was only trying to help…)  
  
She looked over at the mercenary. So much had happened between them over the   
last few years, it was hard to believe.   
  
(How many times have I come close to losing you?) she thought.  
  
She blinked and grit her teeth.  
  
(CUT THAT OUT!!) she ordered her brain. (Okay, yes, I admit it, Gourry and I   
are close…) She sighed. They WERE close, closer than anyone she'd ever known.   
(Dammit! Why are THESE thoughts coming up all of a sudden!?)  
  
(Heh…Must be Spring…)  
  
She looked up at him again. Maybe she should…  
  
(What?! Huh?! What?!) she asked the "stupid" part of her brain.   
  
(Well…It's just that this might be the only time you have alone together for a very   
long time, and if you WERE to say something to him about…)  
  
She blinked as a tiny Xellos appeared on her left shoulder. "Now, now, Lina chan.   
Surely you aren't…FALLING…for Mister Gourry now, are you?"  
  
A tiny Filia appeared on her right shoulder. "Can it, namagomi! I think it's sweet!"  
  
"You would," Xellos commented in a mumble.  
  
"Miss Lina's feelings for Mister Gourry are good and pure!" Filia cried. She   
suddenly pointed her mace at Xellos. "And don't you dare try to pollute it with your lustful   
filth!"  
  
"Oh my!" Xellos cried. "Filia san said 'lustful!'" He grinned. "I think the world   
may be coming to an end!"  
  
The tiny Filia blushed, but rallied. "My vocabulary is not the issue here! What is   
the issue is how Miss Lina feels about Mister Gourry!"  
  
"And I say she should say something!" Xellos countered.  
  
"And I say…" She stopped and blinked. "The same thing…"  
  
Both tiny people blinked. Filia scratched her head. "God damn," she muttered in   
amazement.  
  
Lina sighed. Filia and Xellos, even if just in her mind, agreeing on something…  
  
The world was definitely coming to an end…  
  
  
  
The town of Namor rested between Atlas and Dorosland, and made a perfect   
stopping off point for the night. The town wasn't much, but it did sport one thing that   
Gourry was thankful for the next morning.  
  
A weapons shop.  
  
"I'm going to see if this magic shop has anything worth my time," Lina told him,   
chucking a thumb at the store behind her.   
  
He nodded. "I need to get my sword sharpened anyway and see about getting a new   
whetstone."  
  
The redhead nodded and turned, heading into the mystic's shop. Gourry stood there   
for a moment, lost in thought. Lina had been acting…odd lately, ever since they left Atlas   
City. She was looking at him a lot, and…  
  
He gasped as he realized it.  
  
She hadn't smacked him with a slipper in two days!  
  
The swordsman rubbed his chin in contemplation. There was definitely something   
wrong with the woman calling herself Lina Inverse…  
  
In Gourry-like fashion, he shrugged it off a moment later and went into the weapons   
shop. Swords and spears of all shapes and sizes lined the walls. The merchant behind the   
counter was yawning as a man in front of him spoke, gesturing wildly with his sword.  
  
"So then, I took down three of them with a mighty swing from Razor Blade!" the   
youth announced. "But then the sorceress harlots started using their magic, and I…  
  
"Look, kid," the merchant said, "All I asked was 'what do you want?' Now   
then…for the LAST time…What do you want?"  
  
"Oh," the boy said sheepishly. "I'd like the strap on my sheathe repaired." He put   
the scabbard on the counter.  
  
"Fine, three goldpieces," the merchant told him. He looked up at Gourry and   
nodded in greeting. "Be with you in a minute, sir."  
  
"That's no problem," Gourry said with a wave. "I have time."  
  
The merchant went into the back, leaving the two swordsmen alone in the shop.   
The youth looked over at Gourry. Gourry looked back. Finally, one of them dared to break   
the silence.  
  
"I like swords," the youth announced.  
  
Gourry blinked and smiled. "Really? Me too."  
  
The youth responded by putting his blade on the counter. "This is Razor Blade!   
The sword I used to defeat a slew of evil copii sorceresses!"  
  
Gourry drew his own blade and rested it next to Razor Blade. "Heh, this is mine.   
It doesn't have a name or anything yet. I just got it recently."  
  
"Hey, that's nice!" the youth said in admiration. "May I?"  
  
"Yeah, sure," the mercenary offered. The boy picked up the sword and made a   
few slashes in the air.   
  
The merchant returned a second later and placed the repaired scabbard on the   
countertop. Jeffrey returned Gourry's sword to him and paid the bill.   
  
"So what brings you out here?" Gourry asked.  
  
"Oh, well we're looking for a sorceress named…"  
  
Before he could finish, a dark-haired woman stuck her head through the door.   
"JEFFREY! We're leaving! Get a move on!"  
  
The boy jumped. "Um…Yes, Ma'am!" he called back. The angry woman's head   
disappeared. He turned back to Gourry and rolled his eyes. "Sorceresses…"  
  
"Yeah, tell me about it," the blonde replied with a nod. "It was nice meeting   
you…er…Jeffrey?"  
  
"Yeah, you too!" the boy called back, running towards the door.   
  
Gourry smiled and turned back to the shopkeep. He quickly explained that he   
wanted the blade on his sword sharpened and asked about a whetstone. The merchant   
nodded and took his sword into the back. The mercenary settled himself in to wait.  
  
He was admiring a set of daggers behind the counter when the shop's doorbell   
clanged, announcing the arrival of a new customer. He didn't bother turning until that   
customer was at the counter, standing next to him. Looking to his left, he blinked in   
surprise.  
  
A rather attractive woman stood there, leaning on the countertop. She was tall, just   
a bit shorter than he was, with long, brown hair that reached down to the small of her back,   
tied in a tight ponytail. She wore a set of tight, leather armor that, while adequately   
covering and protecting her, left very little to the imagination and showed anyone who   
bothered to look that the woman was rather well endowed. Gourry found himself staring at   
her.  
  
She seemed to sense his stare and turned to him. Her aquamarine eyes gave him a   
once over before allowing her to smile. "Hi there," she said, turning around and casually   
resting her back against the counter.  
  
"H..hi," he said.  
  
She sensed his nervousness, and her smile widened. "Long cruise, sailor?" she   
asked, stretching, arching her back.  
  
Gourry gulped. "Um…What?"  
  
"You look like you haven't seen a woman in months," she commented. "Or do you   
just stare at EVERY woman like that?"  
  
"Oh! Sorry!" he said sheepishly.  
  
She winked and turned back to the counter. "Hey!" she called out. "I'm kind of in   
a hurry!"  
  
"I'm busy," the merchant called out.   
  
"Oh, go ahead and take care of her first," Gourry called. "She's in a hurry."  
  
"And they say chivalry is dead," the woman remarked, smiling at him. The   
shopkeep came out of the back and asked what she wanted. The woman drew a wicked-  
looking dagger and placed it on the counter in front of her. "The hilt was damaged in a   
little scuffle I had not long ago. I need it repaired."  
  
"Two day job," the merchant remarked, examining the weapon.  
  
"Shit," the woman muttered. "Fine." She dug into her pouch. "How much?"  
  
The merchant named his price, and she met the deposit, placing several gold coins   
on the table. She turned and started for the door.   
  
"Nice meeting you, blondie," she called over her shoulder at Gourry.  
  
"Um…Nice meeting you too," he replied.  
  
"Hey, lady!" the merchant called. "I need a name so I know who this belongs to!"  
  
The woman opened the door and stopped, turning to him. "Greysword," she told   
him. She turned and started out, almost bumping into Lina as she went. "Excuse me," she   
said quickly, staring at Lina.  
  
Lina blinked. "Something wrong?" she asked, a little defensively.  
  
"No," the woman told her. "Just thought I knew you for a second." With that, she   
continued outside. Lina shrugged and started toward the counter.  
  
"Did you see the rack on that one?" the merchant asked Gourry, still staring at the   
door.  
  
Gourry only nodded.  
  
"What about that ass?"   
  
"No, I missed it!" the blonde told him sarcastically.   
  
"Damn, why can't more girls like HER come in here?"   
  
"What's going on?" Lina asked, blinking, stepping up to the counter.  
  
"Bah!" the merchant cried, waving Lina away. The redhead only blinked.   
  
"C'mon, Gourry, this town's magic shop only had cheap, bootleg crystals. Let's get   
going."  
  
"O…kay," he replied, still staring at the door.  
  
"Hey, kid," the merchant said, placing his sword and a new whetstone on the   
counter. "I know she was hot, but come on…reel your tongue back in."  
  
"HUH?!" Gourry cried, blinking in confusion.  
  
Lina stood by and fumed.  
  
  
  
The woman lingered by the door for a few moments more, listening as the redhead   
berated the blond man inside. It didn't take long for the mercenary to cry her name in an   
effort to get her to stop.  
  
"Ack! Ow! Hey! Lina! Quit!"  
  
"Thank you, blondie," the woman muttered before starting down the road.  
  
  
  
"Oi, Lina? Lina? What's wrong?"  
  
Marching out ahead of him, Lina didn't even bother to turn to Gourry. She just   
continued to stalk out in front of him, fuming.  
  
"C'mon, Lina! You've been acting weird all day! Now all of a sudden, you're   
acting like you're mad at me or something!"  
  
"It's nothing," she bit out, continuing to march.  
  
"Did I do something wrong?"  
  
"No, of course not," she replied bitterly. "Since when is ogling some sword-toting   
harlot wrong?" The sarcasm dripped from her lips like drool from a dragon's jowls.  
  
"Then why are you mad?" he asked, totally missing her subtle hint. "Oh!" he   
cried. "I get it! It's that time of the month!"  
  
"FIREBALL!!!"  
  
  
  
The explosion could be seen from a mile away even if one WASN'T looking for it.  
  
Greysword lowered the fieldglasses and nodded at the cloud of black smoke rising   
from forest up ahead. "And I thought this was going to be hard."  
  
"Don't get arrogant," a voice from her right warned her. She turned and found a   
man in red robes phase into reality next to her. "Underestimate either of them, and you   
won't draw breath long enough to regret it."  
  
"What are you doing here?" she asked, peering through the glasses again. "I   
thought you were further north checking out another lead."  
  
He cleared his throat in annoyance and muttered something she couldn't make out.   
Something about, "Damn shadows…"  
  
"If you're here to help," she said casually, "You can do it by doing the talking. You   
got that creepy, respectable thing going for you."  
  
"Very well. What kind of support do we have?"  
  
"Four berserkers," she told him.   
  
He chuckled. "Arrogance indeed."  
  
"Let's get on with it," she said, tossing the fieldglasses to him. He caught them   
easily and vanished.  
  
  
  
Gourry stood blinking in shock. The ground around him was charred black except   
for the tiny space he was standing on. "Um…"  
  
Lina growled and turned away again. "Dammit, I forgot," she hissed. "That sword   
of yours blocks offensive magic…"  
  
"Wow…I guess that'll come in handy," he said, scratching his head. "Huh, Lina?"   
he chuckled.  
  
She didn't laugh.  
  
"Come on, yogurt brain," she muttered. "Let's go."  
  
Gourry watched her walk away and frowned. "Lina," he whispered.   
  
(What's wrong with her?) he thought.   
  
"Well, isn't it obvious!?" a tiny Amelia asked, suddenly appearing on his shoulder.   
She posed and pointed at him. "You've broken her brittle, black, crusted heart!"  
  
"I did?" he asked in amazement.  
  
"Bah! Forget her!" a tiny Zelgadis told him from the other shoulder. "Why would   
you want a girl who blasts you, whacks you, beats on you, and kicks your ass at every   
opportunity? Let's go back to that village and get some pie!"  
  
"Ooooh! Pie!" the tiny Amelia cried in delight.  
  
"Wait a second!" Gourry interrupted. "What do you mean 'broke her heart?'"  
  
"Do you think they have blueberry?" tiny Amelia asked. "I really like blueberry!"  
  
"Now, I've never liked blueberry," Zelgadis told her. "Always had that funny   
aftertaste…"  
  
"But cherry has that tang…"  
  
"Excuse me!" Gourry cried at them. They looked up at him in annoyance. He   
lowered his head. "Apple," he admitted.  
  
"That's what we thought," they both said. They disappeared in a flash.  
  
"Hey, wait!" he cried. "What was that bit about Lina?! Dammit, subconscious!   
Don't abandon me now! You're the only part of my mind that still works!"  
  
He sighed when the hallucinations didn't reappear. Now what was he supposed to   
do?  
  
Well, first, he'd have to catch up to Lina. He'd deal with the rest later.  
  
He started down the road at a run.  
  
  
  
Lina grit her teeth as she walked. The very SECOND she gets it into her fool head   
to say something to Gourry, something about how she thought she was almost pretty sure   
she felt, she had to come in and see him demonstrating a trait his gender was notorious for;   
ogling a woman with BREASTS THAT WERE BIGGER THAN HERS!!!!  
  
Is that all men thought about? Breasts and food! Breasts and food!   
  
(Well forget it! Deal's off! If he wants to be my protector, fine! He's my friend,   
fine! But it's never going to be more than that! Never! He's…He's…HE'S A YOGURT-  
FOR-BRAINS!!!)  
  
"Lina Inverse."  
  
She stopped cold and looked up, kicking herself for not being more attentive to the   
world around her. Standing directly in her path was a man in red robes. She tossed off her   
surprise and grinned, immediately attaining a care-free facade.  
  
"Lina!"  
  
She turned slightly and saw Gourry running up from behind. He saw the man in   
front of her and slid to a stop, his hand going to his sword.   
  
"Lina?" he asked seriously.  
  
She turned back to the crimson man. "Are you going to stand there all day, blocking   
the road or what?" she asked.  
  
"Lina Inverse, you have a piece of information I require."  
  
"The address of a good tailor?" she asked with an arched eyebrow. "Red robes   
went out with Rezo," she commented snidely.  
  
The man gave her a half-smile, but otherwise ignored the comment. "I'm willing to   
pay for the information I require."  
  
This, of course, immediately set off the merchant's blood in her. She crossed her   
arms over her chest and smiled. "I'm listening."  
  
He pulled a small bag from his robes and tossed it to her feet. "ONE hundred   
goldpieces," he said, emphasizing the amount for some reason she wasn't aware of.  
  
"What's the question?" she asked.  
  
"Where might I find Zelgadis Greywords?" he asked.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"That is none of your concern," the man told her. Lina heard rustling in the bushes   
on either side of the road. Her eyes darted to the left, and she could make out the green   
skin of a berserker standing nearby.  
  
Gourry, watching the exchange in front of him, turned as he heard a familiar voice   
call out, "Hey, blondie!" He turned and found the same woman from the sword shop   
standing behind them, a katana held casually in her right hand.  
  
Lina heard the call and grit her teeth. She banished the thought from her mind and   
turned back to the man in red.   
  
"Well?" he asked. "Do we have a deal or not?"  
  
She reached down and picked up the sack of gold.  
  
"Lina!" Gourry cried.  
  
With a short toss, she threw the gold back at him. The sack landed at his feet, the   
gold clinking within. He arched an eyebrow at her.  
  
"You obviously don't know me very well," she told him quietly. "Not well at all if   
you think I'd sell out one of my friends to a Red Priest wannabe, his harlot, and his pet   
berserkers."   
  
"Lina!" Gourry called out again, this time with a relieved grin.  
  
"Tell you where Zelgadis is?" she asked. "That's an insult!" Her red eyes seemed   
to flash in anger. "An unforgivable insult."  
  
The man in red smiled. "Then we'll do this the hard way." He held out his hand.   
"FLARE LANCE!"  
  
Lina jumped to her left as the magnified Flare Arrow struck the ground she had   
been standing on. "FIIIIIRE…." She paused as a berserker's sword went whipping   
towards her face and ducked. "BALL!" she cried, aiming at the scaly warrior. An   
explosion and a scream later, the berserker was gone.  
  
She turned, intent on dealing with the man in red, but couldn't see him. Instinct   
screamed at her, and she looked up. He was floating directly above her.   
  
"FLARE ARROW!" she cried.  
  
"FREEZE ARROW!" she heard him shout. The spells deflected one another,   
causing them to detonate out of range. Before she could prepare a new spell, the other   
three berserkers were on her.  
  
  
  
Gourry was rushing to Lina's defense when the woman, Greysword, leapt out in   
front of him, her katana raised.  
  
"I don't want to hurt you," he told her seriously, drawing his sword.  
  
She smiled. "Don't worry. You won't." She cried out suddenly and aimed a thrust   
at his head. Gourry parried quickly and stepped back for more room. The woman made   
two more expert slashes that he just barely avoided, and Gourry took stock of his situation.  
  
The woman was no amateur. He could tell by the look in her eyes. They were   
cold…  
  
For some reason, he was suddenly reminded of Zelgadis. His eyes had looked the   
same way when they had fought.  
  
She gave him no more time for reflection. She struck, aiming blow after blow at   
him.   
  
(Damn! She's too fast!) Their swords rang out together. Gourry had the strength,   
but she never gave him a chance to use it. Her agility and speed had him blocking new   
attacks from several different directions, almost at once.   
  
He heard two more explosions. Lina was in trouble. He growled and went on the   
offensive, swinging his sword outward to give him some space. The woman backflipped   
for more room. Gourry stepped forward to press his advantage but found the woman's   
boot flying at his face.   
  
Gourry staggered back from the force of the kick.  
  
  
  
"Gourry!" Lina cried, seeing him stagger backwards. She turned to the remaining   
berserkers and the man in red. They knew her name: it was time to see if they knew this…  
  
"Darkness beyond twilight…" she began.  
  
Apparently they did, because the second she said it, the berserkers dropped their   
swords and took off running. The man in red growled.  
  
"FLAAAARE…"  
  
  
Gourry saw the man in red aiming a spell at Lina as she chanted. The   
swordswoman made a rush at him. He grit his teeth and parried quickly, throwing his body   
against the woman and ramming her with his shoulder. The woman cried out and hit the   
dirt. He ran for Lina.  
  
"Crimson beyond the blood that flows…Buried in the flow of time…In thy great   
name…"  
  
"ARROW!"  
  
"LINA!"   
  
He threw himself between them just as the man's magic attack flew from his hand.   
Gourry's sword glowed faintly as the Flare Arrow struck his chest, dissipating by the   
sword's magic properties. The man in red arched an eyebrow.  
  
"…I pledge myself to darkness…Let all the fools who stand in our way be   
destroyed…by the power you and I possess!"  
  
"Ah, shit!" the woman cried, throwing herself behind a nearby boulder.  
  
The crimson man gasped. "ASTRAL PHA…"  
  
"DRAGON SLAVE!!!"  
  
The storm of fire exploded from Lina's hands, detonating practically on top of   
them. Gourry quickly grabbed the redhead and held her, shielding her from the blast with   
his body.   
  
The trees for almost a quarter of a mile around them were knocked to the ground by   
the force of the blast, the heat charring the bark on their trunks. To be caught this close to a   
Dragon Slave was certain death…  
  
Unless you had a sword that made you immune to its effects…  
  
Or were hiding behind whoever held said sword…  
  
Or happened to be hiding behind a rock at the time…  
  
Or had managed to phase into the astral plane just before it went off…  
  
Much like the man who suddenly appeared in front of Lina now.  
  
Lina grit her teeth in rage at the man. A second later, the swordswoman leapt to   
Lina's right, bringing her sword into the en guarde position. Gourry was at the young   
sorceress' side in a flash, his own sword up.  
  
"If you're quite done," the man in red said, sounding rather bored.  
  
"Okay," Lina said, "So you're good."  
  
"Zelgadis Greywords," was the man's reply. "We want him."  
  
"He's not for sale," Lina bit back.   
  
"Lina," Gourry whispered seriously. "The woman's pretty good."  
  
"So's the sorcerer," she whispered back. "I think we have to use the Ultimate   
Technique…"  
  
Gourry blinked. "And that is?"  
  
Lina took a step forward, raised her arms into the air grandly, closed her eyes…  
  
Then turned left and ran like hell!  
  
"Ack! Lina!" Gourry cried, running after her.  
  
"They're…running away," Greysword muttered, her eye twitching.  
  
"So I've noticed," the man in red remarked. He disappeared a moment later.   
Greysword took the hint and began her own pursuit.  
  
  
  
"Lina! You could at least warn me when you're going to do that!" Gourry yelled at   
her as he ran.  
  
"We need a plan!" she yelled back. "And I wasn't going to come up with one   
while he's shooting at me!"  
  
"Any ideas?!" he asked.  
  
A Flare Arrow striking a nearby tree reminded them that they were not alone.  
  
(One's dependent on magic, the other a sword,) she thought. (They're perfect   
matches for me and Gourry…THAT'S IT!)   
  
"Gourry! We're going to split up!"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"We're going to take them one on one!" she shouted back.  
  
"That didn't work!" he cried alarmed.  
  
"This time it will!" she assured him. She was starting to get tired. It was reaching   
the sink or swim moment. "I'M going to take the woman on, and YOU'RE going to take the   
sorcerer!"  
  
"She'll fillet you, and he'll barbecue me!"  
  
She growled. A tree nearby turned to ice. "Think, doofus!" she yelled at him.   
"Your sword makes his magic useless, and she can't get to me if I fireball her from a mile   
away!"  
  
"Oooooh…" he commented.  
  
"Ooooh," she agreed with a nod. "If we get separated, we'll meet in Dorosland!   
Got it?!"   
  
"Right!" Gourry told her with a grin.  
  
Lina turned suddenly and pointed at the woman running behind them. "FLARE   
ARROW!" The fire shaft streaked toward the swordswoman, who dived to her right to   
avoid it.  
  
Gourry, meanwhile, leapt up at the floating sorcerer and swung with his sword.   
The crimson man darted back.  
  
"FIREBALL!" The ball of fire struck Gourry dead on, exploding in a cloud of   
smoke. The swordsman, however, wasn't so much as singed as he jumped through the   
black cloud and swung again.  
  
Greysword leapt at Lina and made two horizontal slashes, forcing the sorceress to   
backpedal frantically. So far, this plan wasn't working very well for her. She took another   
jump back into the tree line to safety, only to find the swordswoman leaping after her.   
  
Lina cried out and surprise and ran as Greysword swung her katana, slicing through   
the trunk of an elm tree. The tree fell over, nearly hitting the sorceress. "FREEZE   
ARROW!"  
  
Greysword ducked behind a tree just before the ice arrow would have struck her.   
Not giving Lina any time to recover, she rushed the redhead again, counting on her natural   
speed and agility to win the fight before the sorceress could ready another spell.  
  
Lina ducked and took off further into the forest, looking for any advantage to use   
against the woman. Gourry seemed to be holding his own with the sorcerer. He'd be all   
right.  
  
  
  
The man in red dodged another swing and floated a few more feet away from his   
opponent. "FLARE BIT!"  
  
Once again, Gourry's sword glowed faintly as the magic attack dissipated against   
his chest.   
  
"An enchanted sword," the man remarked. "Would that be the famous Sword of   
Light by any chance?"  
  
Gourry smiled. "No. This is its successor." He flew at the sorcerer, who ducked   
and dodged every attack thrown at him. He flew a little higher, trying to think of some way   
to get past the swordsman's protective field.  
  
An idea occurred to him. He floated backwards. "And your name?" he asked,   
trying to distract the warrior.  
  
"Gourry Gabriev," was the reply. "Lina's guardian." He took a few steps toward   
the sorcerer. "And you?"  
  
The crimson man smiled tightly. He was almost ready. "Zero." With a sudden   
movement, he flung out his hand! "FREEZE BRID!" A blue beam flew from his fingertips   
and struck the ground at Gourry's feet, exploding in a giant ice crystal!  
  
"What the…" Gourry cried.  
  
"FREEZE BRID! FREEZE BRID!" Two more blue beams struck the ground on   
either side of Gourry, the ice crystals that grew as a result surrounded him, freezing their   
way up his legs. Since the ice was the end result of the spell and not the spell itself,   
Gourry's sword was useless against it.  
  
He cried out against the bitter cold. He was encased up to his thighs now. He   
raised the sword over his head, preparing to break the ice crystal with it.   
  
Before he could, however, Zero landed directly in front of him and slapped his   
palm to the ground. "BEPHIS BRING!"  
  
The ground under Gourry's feet opened up beneath him, and he fell with a cry. He   
hit the bottom of the artificial shaft thirty feet below. The back of his head struck a rock…  
  
And he saw no more.  
  
  
  
"FIREBALL!"  
  
The ball of fire detonated where Greysword had been standing only a second   
before. Lina panted in exhaustion. She couldn't keep doing this. The Dragon Slave had   
already drained her, and this woman's speed was forcing her to either keep moving or die.   
  
They were already quite a distance from the road where she had left Gourry. She   
could hear rushing water nearby. She looked over her shoulder and saw that the forest was   
coming to an end…  
  
With a ravine…  
  
"Oh great," Lina muttered. It now appeared that her brilliant plan to get more   
room to fight in also happened to be the swordswoman's brilliant plan to trap her against   
the edge of the cliff. "Great, Lina," she mumbled. "Real slick…"  
  
Greysword landed not far away, her sword pointed downward. She took a step   
towards Lina.   
  
The sorceress examined her options. She looked over her shoulder and saw that   
she was now standing at the edge of the cliff. She could see the water of the river raging a   
hundred feet below.  
  
(I could try the Ragna Blade, but she's so close that if I missed, she'd have me,) she   
thought. She smiled. (Looks like it's time to up and fly away.)  
  
"Zelgadis Greywords," the swordswoman called out seriously. "I want his   
location. Now."  
  
"Why?" Lina called as a plan entered her head; something Sylphiel had told her.  
  
"You've lost, Lina Inverse," Greysword told her, taking another step toward the   
sorceress. "Tell me where he is."  
  
Lina said nothing.  
  
"Please," Greysword asked quietly. Lina blinked. She didn't sound like she was   
demanding any longer.  
  
More like she was begging.  
  
"Why do you want Zelgadis?" Lina asked, simultaneously readying a fireball.  
  
The woman said nothing.   
  
"Then I can't give him to you."  
  
Greysword took another step forward. She was only four or five meters from Lina   
now. "I'm not giving you a choice."   
  
Lina smiled dangerously. "Neither am I. FIREBALL!"  
  
Greysword brought up her katana, anticipating an attack, but it never came. Lina   
hurled the fireball down at the ground between them! It detonated in a fiery explosion,   
causing a huge crack to form along the edge of the cliff. The part Lina was standing on   
shattered and began to fall into the ravine.   
  
The swordswoman cried out and lashed out with her hand, grabbing the edge of the   
cliff, catching herself before she could fall.  
  
Lina, on the other hand, let herself fall. She smiled and waved. So much for that!  
  
"LEVITA…"  
  
*WHACK!*  
  
The chunk of rock seemed to have come from nowhere. Where ever it had come   
from was not important. What was important was that it struck Lina in the side of the head,   
knocking her out before she could finish her Levitation spell.  
  
Out cold and helpless, Lina Inverse plummeted into the ravine and into the freezing   
water below.  
  
  
To Be Continued…  



	6. Rendezvous! Amelia to the Rescue!

Slayers is the property of Kadokawa Shoten.  
  
AMELIA: (Posing.) AS WE TRAVEL CLOSER AND CLOSER TO OUR DESTINY, FATE   
HAS SEEN FIT TO TEST THE CHAINS OF LOVE THAT BIND MISTER ZELGADIS AND   
MISS SYLPHIEL TOGETHER!!  
  
ZELGADIS: Excuse me?  
  
SYLPHIEL: Um…Miss Amelia? (Blushes.)  
  
AMELIA: WITH THE CLOCK TICKING SLOWLY TO THE MIDNIGHT OF DESPAIR, I,   
AMELIA WIL TESLA SEYRUUN, AM ALL THAT STAND BETWEEN THE LOVE THEY   
SHARE AND THE DARK EMPTINESS THAT AWAITS THEM!!!  
  
ZELGADIS: We really have to stop giving her sugar…  
  
  
Faces: After!  
Part 6  
Rendezvous!  
Amelia to the Rescue!  
  
  
  
  
Silence.   
  
Not a word. Not a single word spoken in more than ten miles. It hung over the group like a   
cloud.  
  
And quite frankly it was beginning to piss Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun off.  
  
Okay, they had a fight. So what? She had been sure the two of them would have made up   
by the next morning. But that never occurred. At that point, she was certain it would only take a   
little bit of walking to wear down their resolve and force them to speak to one another.  
  
But here it was, ten miles into their trip to Dorosland, and they still weren't speaking.  
  
She sighed.  
  
"Something wrong, Miss Amelia?" Sylphiel asked her from the left.  
  
"No, Miss Sylphiel, nothing," was her reply.  
  
"If you're tired, we can stop for lunch," Zelgadis said from her right.  
  
"We don't have to," Amelia assured him.  
  
They ended up stopping anyway, biting into a lunch of overcooked travel biscuits. Amelia   
chewed for a moment and frowned. Apparently, Miss Sylphiel's cooking skills suffered whenever   
she was in a poor mood. She looked up and found the priestess sitting on a log, looking down at   
the ground. Her own biscuit was still in her hand, untouched. Zelgadis was chewing dully on his   
own meal but did whatever he could to avoid Sylphiel's gaze.  
  
(Okay, this has to stop,) Amelia thought.  
  
"Why does it have to stop?" a tiny version of Lina asked, appearing on her shoulder. "If   
you wait long enough, maybe they'll get tired of each other and leave Zelzy Welzy to you." The   
tiny sorceress grinned evilly.  
  
"Oi, you can't do that!" a tiny Gourry appearing on her other shoulder cried. "It's wrong!"  
  
"Don't listen to him!" tiny Lina cried. "What does he know!? This is your chance,   
Amelia!"  
  
"The REAL Lina wouldn't say that," tiny Gourry pointed out.  
  
"Well, I'm not the REAL Lina!" tiny Lina retorted. "I'm the manifestation of Amelia's   
dark side given form by her emotional distress!"  
  
"See?!" tiny Gourry cried, pointing at tiny Lina. "What she said!"  
  
Amelia sighed. Tiny Gourry was right…  
  
"No he's not!" tiny Lina fired at her.  
  
She tried to think of what her role model would do in this situation, and as hard as she   
tried, she couldn't see Miss Lina taking advantage of Zelgadis and Sylphiel's heartache, no matter   
what was involved, be it treasure…or love.  
  
(This is going to end,) she thought. "IN THE NAME OF JUSTICE, I SWEAR IT!" she   
cried.  
  
Zelgadis and Sylphiel looked at her in puzzlement.   
  
  
  
She couldn't talk to Zelgadis about it. She just couldn't. It was still too soon for her   
broken heart to be able to talk to him about Sylphiel without crying, so she decided to start with the   
shrine maiden.   
  
"Miss Sylphiel," she began, striking up a conversation with the woman while Zelgadis   
marched ahead of them. "Are you feeling okay?"  
  
"I'm fine, Miss Amelia," Sylphiel told her quietly.   
  
Amelia decided to proceed delicately, but this plan dissolved quickly, and she ended up   
just blurting out what she wanted to say. "Don't you think it's time you forgave Mister Zelgadis,"   
she asked quietly.  
  
Sylphiel looked at her in surprise and sighed. "Miss Amelia…I…I do forgive him. It's   
just…"  
  
"Just what?"   
  
She turned away from the younger girl. "He was so different on that island," she   
whispered. "It was like a dark veil had been lifted from him. And then…the veil dropped over   
him again." She looked at Amelia and said, "And after what happened back in Borden, I have to   
wonder about him."  
  
"Why?"  
  
The priestess shut her eyes. "We're so different," she said quietly. "I have to wonder if   
we're not TOO different."  
  
Amelia was a romantic at heart, and for a moment she could see the dilemma almost like a   
cheap romance novel. The priestess, a creature of light, adorned in white robes, taming the fiery   
beast with the power of her heart, saving his humanity. She sniffled.   
  
Suddenly, Sylphiel found the younger girl hugging her. "Oh, Miss Sylphiel!" Amelia wept.   
"It has to work out! It just has to! What kind of cheap, crappy ending would it be if things didn't   
work out in the end?!" She sobbed into Sylphiel's blouse.  
  
The shrine maiden sweatdropped. "Er…Miss Amelia?"  
  
Amelia continued to cry. It was just so terribly sad and romantic all at the same time!  
  
"Miss Amelia?"  
  
She stepped back and wiped her eyes. "Sorry," she whispered. "It's just…The two of you   
have come so far and through so much…"  
  
Sylphiel looked down at the ground.   
  
"You have to make up with him, Miss Sylphiel!" Amelia cried. "For his sake and for   
yours!"  
  
"I'm not sure I can," Sylphiel whispered. "Even if we forgive each other now, and things   
go back to the way they were, how long will it be until our differences drive us apart for good?"  
  
Amelia could only sigh.   
  
  
  
The three of them had gone straight through Namor, but ended up having to take a different   
path to the next town. According one of the royal officials, there had been some kind of accident   
on the road, and it was now blocked to travelers. Fortunately, Zelgadis knew of another route, and   
the trio ended up walking into the village of Laketown sometime after midnight.  
  
Amelia lay on her bed at the inn and tried to sleep. It was difficult, however, with so many   
conflicting emotions running through her mind. After about an hour, she gave up and decided to go   
for a walk.   
  
This wasn't her first time in Laketown. It seemed like a lifetime ago since they were all   
here last. Before long, she was actually at the same lake, looking out at the water, at the moon's   
reflection there. She sat down and remembered Lina, hell-bent on having dragon cuisine, using   
poor Mister Zelgadis as an anchor for the ship.  
  
She giggled at the memory and sat down in the grass on the shore. Poor Miss Lina never   
did get to eat her dragon meal.   
  
It was so long ago.   
  
She laid back and rested her head against the grass. What could she do now? A part of her   
sympathized with Sylphiel, but another part was angry as Hell at her. Yes, Mister Zelgadis might   
be gloomy and sometimes did things that seemed a little cold! But he only hurt those men because   
they had tried to hurt HER! Couldn't Sylphiel see that?!  
  
A part of her wanted to give up. She had tried her best. She had talked to Miss Sylphiel.   
If that wasn't enough, then her conscience would just have to be satisfied that she had done all she   
could.  
  
She could comfort Mister Zelgadis. She really could. If Miss Sylphiel was so easily   
chased off by him, well she could step into her place, right?  
  
Right?  
  
She felt moisture on her cheeks. Dammit, why did this have to be HER job?! Miss Lina   
should be here! SHE should be the one knocking sense into the two of them! It was too hard a job   
for Amelia to take on alone!  
  
Unconsciously, she reached into the pouch on her belt and removed the small music box.   
She rested it on her chest and opened it. The melody, the only sound she could associate with   
Mister Zelgadis' mother, began to play. She wiped another tear away.  
  
"It's too hard," she whispered to the music box. "It's just too hard."  
  
The box played, but didn't answer her.  
  
"All I ever wanted was for your son to love me," she whispered. "Now he loves someone   
else. Doesn't that hurt ENOUGH without me having to…to…make sure he'll NEVER love me?"  
  
The melody didn't change in the slightest.  
  
"He hurts so much, I know," Amelia went on. "And these past few weeks, when they've   
been together, he seemed to be getting better. I…I…" She actually laughed. "I actually thought it   
might be because of me at one point." She wiped another tear away. "I want him to be happy, I   
just don't want him to be happy with HER!"  
  
The music box played on.  
  
"But if I can't make him happy," she breathed, "And she CAN…How can I not try?"  
  
(How can I not try?)  
  
For yet another night, Amelia cried herself to sleep to the tune of that same music box.  
  
  
  
The ballroom was extravagant but in a tasteful sort of way befitting the preferences of the   
Seyruun royal house. Although incredibly large, the place was packed with lords and ladies of   
every kind. It was impossible to tell who was who, however. This was a masquerade ball, and   
the attending ladies and gentlemen wore masks to cover their faces.   
  
It was this setting that Princess Amelia, adorned in an elegant black gown, had entered.   
She gave the crowd a once over and had no problem finding him. He stood in the shadows of one   
corner of the room, wearing no mask, only his usual tan attire and cape. She smiled and pushed   
her way through the crowd towards him.  
  
"Oh, excuse me," one woman cried as the princess bumped into her. Amelia looked up   
and found Sylphiel standing there, wearing a white gown that accentuated her natural beauty while   
revealing very little.  
  
"Miss Sylphiel," Amelia said in greeting.  
  
"Have you seen Zelgadis dear?" Sylphiel asked her. She turned left to right, searching, but   
couldn't see him.  
  
"Um…No," Amelia lied. "Excuse me." She left the shrine maiden and continued toward   
her target. Zelgadis looked up as she finally pushed her way through to him. "Mist…" She   
stopped and dropped the formality "Zelgadis. Would you like to dance?"  
  
Zelgadis regarded her for a moment, then nodded. Amelia grabbed his hand and dragged   
him out onto the dance floor. A familiar tune began to play. It took the princess a few moments to   
recognize it as the tune from the music box. She hugged the chimera as they danced.   
  
"I wish it could stay like this, Zelgadis," she whispered. She looked up at him and saw   
that he wasn't looking at her. He was searching the crowd for someone. She turned her head and   
saw Sylphiel not far away, still searching for her Zelgadis dear. Quickly, Amelia took the lead in   
the dance and turned them so that the chimera was facing away from the shrine maiden.   
  
(Just a few more minutes!) she thought sadly as she hugged him again.   
  
"Amelia, is something wrong?" he asked her.  
  
"No, nothing," she whispered in response. "Just dance with me a little longer," she   
begged, holding him tightly.  
  
(Just a little longer…)  
  
  
  
Her eyes opened slowly, the melody of the music box still playing. It was light out, and the   
birds were chirping nearby in their nests. She must have fallen asleep out here.  
  
"Ah, Miss Amelia!"  
  
She turned and saw an elderly man in a brown, wide-brimmed hat walking towards her.   
"Mister Ashford?" she asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.  
  
"Well, this is a happy coincidence," he told her. "I was hoping Miss Lina would show up   
back here soon."  
  
"Why is that?" Amelia asked him, rising to her feet. She was still groggy, and the last   
fleeting images of her dream were still haunting her. She knew what it had been. A message, a   
wish…  
  
And at the same time, a goodbye.  
  
"A year after you left here last time, I came back to this very lake and bagged that   
monster's mate."  
  
"So?" she asked.  
  
"'So?'" he repeated. "I've been curing and preparing the meat for more than a year. It's   
ready," he announced proudly.   
  
She blinked in surprise. "You mean you have dragon cuisine ready to eat?" she asked.  
  
"That's right! I still owe Miss Lina her meal, and if you're here, then…"  
  
"Actually," Amelia interrupted, "She's not with us." Her brow furrowed. "Hasn't she   
come through here yet?" she asked.  
  
Ashford shook his head. "Not that I saw."  
  
"She must have been in a hurry," the sorceress mused.   
  
"Well that is a shame," Ashford spoke up. "Once dragon meat is prepared, there's only a   
small amount of time it can be eaten safely."  
  
A thought occurred to Amelia. She sighed and looked down at the ground. "It's ready   
now?" she asked.  
  
"Miss Amelia, I can have grilled dragon fillets….dragon wine soufflé…roast dragon…and   
dragon sashimi ready for dinner TONIGHT."  
  
The princess bit her lip in thought. A plan was forming, but she wasn't sure she liked it or   
not.  
  
"Do you want it?" he asked. "It's going to spoil soon if it's not eaten."  
  
(Say goodbye, Amelia,) she heard in her head.   
  
She took a breath and looked up at Ashford, determination written all over her face.   
"Mister Ashford, I require your assistance in the aid of justice!"  
  
  
  
Sylphiel reached for the butter just as he did and found her fingers grazing the stone skin of   
his hand. She looked up and found him across the table, looking at her.   
  
"Excuse me," they both said at the same time, pulling their hands away. They looked away   
for a moment, then, at the exact same time, made another attempt at the butter dish. This time their   
hands grazed one another and lingered there. She started to pull away and was surprised when his   
hand grabbed hers. She looked up at him. He was still looking away from her.  
  
"I'm…sorry," he said quietly. "I…SHOULD…have talked to you….first…"  
  
She sighed. "Perhaps…I…You only did it…because of me…I…"  
  
"I lied to you before," he told her. "It WAS about you…If they   
hadn't…harassed…YOU…I wouldn't have cared."  
  
Despite her feelings about violence, Sylphiel found herself flushed.   
  
"I can't change how I feel, Sylphiel," he told her. "But I am sorry if…I HURT you…by   
it…"  
  
She squeezed his hand. "Zelgadis dear, I'm sorry. I was feeling terrible already…and the   
thought that you had to feel even worse because of me…" She paused. "I snapped at you, and that   
was the very last thing I wanted to do." She sighed. "We're so different from one another   
sometimes."  
  
He smiled tightly. "Can you live with those differences?" he asked.  
  
She looked up at him and smiled. "I want to. So much."  
  
Zelgadis squeezed her hand and smiled. "Let's get Amelia and go to Dorosland. Lina's   
probably throwing a fit by now."  
  
Sylphiel nodded happily and stood up. "I'll go bring her down." She started for the stairs,   
paused, leaned over, and gave Zelgadis a tender kiss on the lips. He blinked at her for a moment.   
"A make-up kiss," she explained with a blush. "Zelgadis dear…" She broke off and searched for   
something say. Finally, she just said, "Be right back," and hurried up the stairs.  
  
The chimera sat back and sipped at his tea. That had been close. Sylphiel was one in a   
million. He wasn't about to lose her over three punks in the armpit of the earth. He lowered his   
tea and thought. When did he really start to care?  
  
He remembered when he first met Sylphiel. Not long after, Copii Rezo had destroyed her   
town and killed her father. Then they had met her again when Phibrizzo kidnapped Gourry and   
brought Sairaag back from the beyond. It occurred to him that until just recently, he had never seen   
Sylphiel in a 'happy time.'  
  
He'd have to work on changing that… If there was anyone out there who deserved a break,   
who should have happiness, it was her. All she really wanted, after all, was a nice, quiet life.  
  
Then why hang around Lina…?  
  
He shrugged it off.   
  
"Zelgadis dear!"  
  
He turned and saw Sylphiel rushing down the stairs.   
  
"Miss Amelia! She's missing!"  
  
  
  
To be more precise, Amelia was NOT missing. Missing implies that no one knows where   
one is, and since Ashford knew where the princess was, Amelia was hardly missing. As a matter   
of fact, the young sorceress was dumping about six pounds of chopped dragon meat into a pot of   
boiling water.   
  
"That's it," Ashford assured her. "This will be the finest meal I've ever prepared!"  
  
"Thank you, Mister Ashford!" Amelia cried with a bow. "I do appreciate everything   
you're doing!"  
  
The cowboy cook smiled as he stirred some vegetables in a pan. "I remember when my   
daughter and son-in-law had THEIR first fight." He whistled in awe as he remembered it. "You   
would have thought the sky was falling from the way they went on. It was just some trivial thing   
too. I don't even remember what caused it. I do know that my wife, the one who looks like your   
short, rocky friend, asked me to do something very similar to what you are. So I have some   
experience at this."  
  
"How did it turn out?" she asked.  
  
Ashford smiled. "Nine months later, I had a granddaughter!"  
  
"A simple 'just fine,' would've sufficed," Amelia sighed with a frown.   
  
He chuckled and sampled one of the vegetables. "Don't you have other things to do before   
tonight?" he asked.  
  
"Oh! Right!" she gasped. "I nearly forgot!" She started for the door. "Thank you, Mister   
Ashford!" With that, Amelia dashed outside.  
  
The cowboy cook smiled and added more sauce to the vegetables.  
  
  
  
"Anything?" Zelgadis asked as Sylphiel walked up to him in the street.   
  
She shook her head. "No. She didn't leave town. Her things are still in her room, but then   
where is she? She wouldn't have left for this long without telling anyone."  
  
Zelgadis looked up at the sun and sighed. "I guess the only thing to do is wait for her to   
come back. It's too late to start out for Dorosland now."  
  
"I'm going to try some of the other shops," Sylphiel told him. "Would you stay at the inn   
in case she comes back?"  
  
He nodded. Sylphiel started across the street towards a magic shop. Perhaps Miss Amelia   
had decided to do some morning shopping and just lost track of the time. She poked her head into   
mystics shop, but didn't see the petite sorceress anywhere.  
  
She wandered down the street, poking her head into various shops, searching. The shrine   
maiden had been doing this for about two and a half hours when finally Amelia appeared at one   
end of the street.  
  
"Miss Amelia!" Sylphiel called out with a wave. Amelia saw her and ran up to her.   
"Where have you been?" the priestess asked her. "We've been looking all over for you."  
  
"I'm sorry, Miss Sylphiel," Amelia said with a pout. "I was just doing a favor for Mister   
Zelgadis."  
  
Sylphiel blinked. "A favor?"  
  
Amelia put on a smile and handed the shrine maiden an envelope. Sylphiel opened it and   
read the short letter she found inside. "'Sylphiel,'" she read out loud, "'Please meet me at this   
address tonight at six. It's important that we talk. Zelgadis.'" She lowered the note and blinked.  
  
The princess bit her lip and wondered if she had been able to make the note sound like   
Zelgadis' gruff way of speaking. She hoped so…  
  
"What is this address?" Sylphiel asked.   
  
"It's a restaurant on the other side of town," Amelia supplied.  
  
"A restaurant? Why would he have me meet him in a restaurant?"  
  
(Boy, Miss Sylphiel may be kind-hearted, but she's also a little slow on the uptake…)   
Amelia thought. "I think he wants to talk to you…in private…over dinner…at this address…"   
She pointed at the address in the letter. "At six…"  
  
"But…He's back at the inn, I could just…"  
  
"No!" Amelia cried, waving her hands frantically as if to scare the shrine maiden away   
from the road to the inn. "You…um….have to get a dress for tonight!" She got behind the   
priestess and started to push. "Here, this way!" Amelia directed, nudging the woman in the   
direction of a dress shop. "Get something nice…"  
  
"But Zelgadis dear might be worried," Sylphiel argued. "He's back at the inn waiting for   
us…"  
  
"I'll go to the inn and let him know everything is all right," the princess assured her.   
"Now go buy a dress! For Cepheid's sake! You're a woman! Go shopping!"  
  
"But…"  
  
Before Sylphiel could finish the sentence, Amelia had shoved her into the dress shop and   
closed the door. She leaned against it and wiped the sweat from her brow.   
  
"Jeez, Miss Sylphiel," she muttered. "Will you take the hint already…" She stood up and   
started for the inn. She hoped Mister Zelgadis didn't take as much prodding….  
  
He was a lot heavier than Sylphiel was….  
  
  
  
"'Dear Zelgadis dear…'"   
  
Zelgadis lowered the note and arched a stone eyebrow. "Dear Zelgadis dear?" he asked.  
  
Amelia laughed nervously and shrugged. It had SOUNDED like something the priestess   
might say.  
  
The chimera continued to read. "'It's vital that we talk about our relationship. Please meet   
me here tonight at six. With my love, Syl chan.'" He looked up again. "'Syl chan?'"  
  
The princess laughed a little harder. She wasn't sure if Mister Zelgadis had a pet name for   
the shrine maiden, so she had made a guess.  
  
Oops…  
  
Zelgadis replaced the note in the envelope and thought for a moment. He knew he and   
Sylphiel's relationship had a few bumps. If she wanted to talk about them over dinner somewhere,   
that was fine with him.  
  
"What time is it now?" he asked Amelia.  
  
"Almost five," she told him, sighing in relief. It appeared that Zelgadis wouldn't require a   
push…  
  
"I should start now, then," he said, heading toward the door.  
  
Amelia balked. "Wait! Mister Zelgadis!" She threw herself between him and the door   
and posed theatrically. "YOU SIMPLY CANNOT RENDEVOUS WITH A LADY LIKE MISS   
SYLPHIEL DRESSED IN TRAVELING RAGS!"  
  
The chimera arched an eyebrow.  
  
"At least…not dirty ones…" she amended, remembering that Zelgadis probably didn't   
have anything more formal, and there wasn't time to get him something new.  
  
"Fine. I'll go change." He headed back up the stairs and to his room.  
  
Amelia sunk into a nearby chair and sighed. "Well, Amelia…You did the right thing…"   
She sighed again. "Who would've thought I'd grow to hate hearing that?"  
  
  
  
Upon reaching the restaurant, Zelgadis was immediately ambushed by a waiter, who   
INSISTED that Zelgadis take the table in the corner. In Zelgadis' mind, a table was a table, so he   
didn't fight it. He let the waiter seat him and pour him a glass of wine.  
  
"I didn't order that," he commented, pointing to the glass.  
  
"Taken care of, sir," the waiter assured him before walking off.  
  
The chimera sighed and took a drink. The wine was obviously a good vintage and slid   
smoothly down his throat. He sensed movement nearby and looked up, blinking in surprise.   
  
Sylphiel was being led to his table by the waiter. She had abandoned her traveling outfit   
and was now wearing a light lavender dress, conservative, but then that was Sylphiel.   
  
She smiled and sat down across from him. "This was a wonderful idea, Zelgadis dear,"   
she told him.   
  
"I was about to…um…say the same thing," he told her.  
  
The priestess blinked at him. "But…you sent me a letter…"  
  
The waiter cleared his throat and handed Sylphiel a letter. With a short bow, he turned and   
walked off. Sylphiel opened the letter and read it aloud. "'Mister Zelgadis and Miss Sylphiel,   
please forgive me for sticking my nose where it doesn't belong, but I had to do something.'" She   
paused and looked up at Zelgadis before continuing to read.  
  
"'Miss Sylphiel, please understand that Mister Zelgadis has spent much of his life having   
only to take care of one person: Mister Zelgadis. He's never loved someone like he now loves   
you, and I know the thought of what those men might have done had I not been there sickens him.   
Please do not blame him for losing sight of himself in his anger. He did it only because he loves   
you.'" Sylphiel took a breath.  
  
"'Mister Zelgadis,'" Sylphiel read, "'Miss Sylphiel is scared of you.'" She stopped   
reading and blinked in shock. "'Not…not literally…But scared of what you represent: another   
loved one she could so easily lose. She still doesn't trust herself to love someone again.'"   
Sylphiel wiped a tear away as she read. "'Please be patient with her. Please give her every   
chance to love you.'" She began to cry, and Zelgadis took the note from her.  
  
"'Don't lose sight of yourselves,'" he finished reading quietly. "'I'll see you tomorrow…   
Amelia.'" He put the note down and reached across the table, gently touching Sylphiel's face with   
his finger.  
  
She took his hand in hers and pressed it against her cheek, savoring his touch. Before   
either of them could speak, the waiter returned with a tray. They separated as he began to place   
plates laden with some strange dishes in front of them.  
  
"What is this?" Sylphiel asked, wiping her eyes.  
  
"Dinner, Ma'am," the waiter told her. "Compliments of Chef Ashford."  
  
Zelgadis closed his eyes as the last piece fell into place. "Of course she'd have an   
accomplice," he muttered.   
  
Sylphiel laughed. "What is it?" she asked the waiter.  
  
"Dragon roast and dragon wine soufflé. Stewed vegetables, mashed potatoes, carrots…"  
  
"Thank you," Zelgadis cut him off. The waiter finished quickly and hurried off.   
  
"I've never had dragon," Sylphiel confessed, picking up her knife and fork and cutting into   
some of the soufflé. "I wonder what it tastes like."  
  
"Be sure to mention it to Lina," Zelgadis told her.  
  
Sylphiel blinked. "Why?"  
  
He smiled. "It'll drive her nuts."  
  
The priestess giggled. "I wouldn't want to make her feel bad." She took a bite of soufflé   
"Mmmm!"  
  
Zelgadis took a sip of wine and chuckled under his breath. He owed Amelia one. He   
owed her big.   
  
  
  
Amelia lay on the shore of the lake again, looking up at the stars. She heard footfalls   
approach and looked up to see Ashford looking down at her. "Hi, Mister Ashford," she said.  
  
He sat down on the grass next to her and sighed. "Well…it's done."  
  
"Yeah," she said deadpan.  
  
He looked over at her. "You're a lot like my little granddaughter was."  
  
Amelia ignore him and continued to stare up at the sky.  
  
"Miss Amelia," he sighed, "I understand. You did a very hard thing."  
  
"Do you?" she asked quietly, tears in her eyes.  
  
"Sometimes, Miss Amelia, we have to hurt for the ones we love."  
  
"Yeah," she whispered. She continued to stare up at the sky.  
  
  
  
Sylphiel giggled and put her wine glass down. "An anchor?!" She giggled again, a little   
more exuberantly than the story probably deserved. She took another bite of her souffle and   
giggled again. The waiter appeared and refilled her wine glass.  
  
Zelgadis smiled. Yeah, it was a funny story, but not THAT funny. He watched as Sylphiel   
took another bite and waved down the waiter. "What is she eating, anyway?"  
  
"Dragon wine souffle," he told him.   
  
He blinked. "WINE souffle?" he asked. "Which would be made with…"  
  
"Eighty year old wine, yes Sir," the waiter supplied.  
  
Zelgadis looked over at Sylphiel again. That was her second helping of the souffle and her   
third glass of wine. After three glasses even he was beginning to feel a little light-headed.  
  
"Can I have some more of this?" she asked the waiter, pointing down at her plate. "Thank   
you…"  
  
"I think maybe you've had enough of that," Zelgadis told her, pulling her plate away.  
  
"No, Zelgadis dear!" Sylphiel pouted. "Oh, poo!"  
  
"Such language," Zelgadis remarked with a smile.  
  
"Hmmph!" she sniffed. She took another sip of wine.   
  
"You're drunk," he accused her with a smile and an arched eyebrow.  
  
She looked at him, shocked. "I am nothing of the…" She broke off and hiccupped.   
"…sort!" she finished.   
  
"You are," Zelgadis assured her.  
  
"I will have you know, Zelgadis dear, that a priestess of Cepheid simply does not get   
sozzled…" She smiled at him, something unlike her usual gentle smiles. This one was almost   
predatory.  
  
Zelgadis saw her shiver and rub her shoulders. "Cold?" he asked. She nodded. "Would   
you like my cape?"  
  
She smiled. "Yes, thank you." Before he could remove it, however, she got up and moved   
to his side of the booth, sitting next to him. She took his cape and wrapped it around herself so that   
she was snuggled up next to him.   
  
He cleared his throat nervously, and she giggled at him. She reached out and took his fork   
off his plate, scooping up a piece of the wine souffle and placing it at his lips. "Open," she   
commanded.  
  
"Sylphiel, I…" The priestess took the opportunity and shoved the intoxicating food into his   
mouth. He gave up and chewed. A little wouldn't hurt. She scooped up another forkful and   
aimed. "Not too much," he warned. "I don't want to get as drunk as you."  
  
"I am not drunk," she pouted. "I'm relaxed. Now open."  
  
He obeyed, and she giggled again.   
  
"Drink?" she asked. Without waiting for an answer she put his wine glass to his lips and   
tilted it, forcing him to drink. When she felt he had enough, she lowered the glass and gave him a   
quick kiss on the lips. Zelgadis blinked in shock. Sylphiel was never this forward, not even with   
him.   
  
Perhaps he should bring her back to the inn and put her to bed. She was obviously   
intoxicated. On the other hand, she seemed to be enjoying herself. What could it hurt to let her   
play? He was still sober.   
  
She giggled and shoved another forkful of souffle into his mouth.  
  
  
  
"Careful, careful," Sylphiel cautioned in a whisper as she helped Zelgadis up the stairs of   
the inn.   
  
Zelgadis chuckled quietly and swayed to the right, forcing Sylphiel to support more of his   
weight. She squeaked and giggled, grabbing him to keep him from falling. He started laughing and   
stumbled, striking the wall and leaving a rather sizable impression in the drywall. He laughed   
again and pulled himself out.  
  
Sylphiel grabbed his hand and pulled him unsteadily down the hall towards her room.   
"Zelgadis dear," she cooed softly. "Are you drunk?" she asked with a giggle.  
  
"Hardly," he muttered groggily.   
  
"Are you sure?" she asked playfully.   
  
"Quite," he told her with a stumble. Okay, so the third helping of souffle might not have   
been that wonderful an idea.   
  
"Come here," she beckoned, pulling him inside her room. "Let's put you to bed." They   
stood unsteadily next to the small bed for a moment. "Okay," Sylphiel said, "On three.   
One…two…"  
  
"Wait," Zelgadis stopped her. "Is it one, two, three, then go, or is it one, two, and then go   
on three?"  
  
The priestess broke out into another giggling fit. "On…On three….One…"  
  
"Three!" Zelgadis announced, falling face first onto the bed. Sylphiel squeaked as she   
was pulled down next to him then started laughing again. She pushed against the chimera and   
managed to roll him over onto his back. Zelgadis stared up at the ceiling. "These aren't my   
sheets," he noted, nodding to the ceiling.  
  
He felt Sylphiel move above him, straddling his legs and resting her hands on his chest.   
The chimera took a breath and tried to work through the alcohol-induced fuzz in his brain. He felt   
Sylphiel's lips on his as she kissed him and did his best to reciprocate. Her fingertips grazed his   
cheek as she continued to kiss him with abandon. The wine on her breath was clearly evident as   
he knew it must have been on his.  
  
"Zelgadis dear," she whispered softly. "Make love to me."  
  
The command caught him off guard, but he soon felt his body responding to her request.   
She must have felt it too, because she started to giggle again.  
  
"Are those the magic words to the spell?" she asked with a new giggle. He felt his cheeks   
flush red. She leaned forward and kissed him again, softly and down to his neck.  
  
"You got me…drunk on purpose…didn't you?" he asked with a touch of amusement.  
  
She kissed his neck again. "Mmmm hmmm," she answered. "I knew you wouldn't want to   
take advantage of me being drunk, so I'm taking advantage of you."  
  
"Sneakyyyy," he commented. "Lina…would be proud…"  
  
"Zelgadis dear, please do not mention other women while you're in MY bed," she   
chastised him with another kiss.   
  
"What other women?" he asked fuzzily. She responded with another giggle and moved her   
hands under his shirt, laying them on the stone skin of his chest. Sylphiel felt his arms circle her   
and pull her closer, his hands fumbling with the drawstrings on the back of her dress.  
  
She unconsciously moved her hand up to run her fingers through his hair and hissed in pain.   
She looked at her finger and found a spot of blood there.  
  
"Hmm?" he asked.  
  
"I pricked my finger on your hair," she told him with a pout.   
  
He took her hand and kissed the offending finger. She responded by leaning down again   
and kissing him with newfound desperation. The chimera went back to trying to free his priestess   
from the prison of her dress. In his haze, however, he couldn't get the proper dexterity. He   
growled in frustration.  
  
"Poor Zelgadis dear," Sylphiel cooed.  
  
There was a tearing sound a moment later.   
  
"But I liked this dress," Sylphiel complained with another pout. She felt his hands running   
up and down the soft skin of her back and sighed, kissing him again, losing herself to the one   
perfect moment.   
  
  
  
The sun rose inexorably into the sky the next morning, just one more of many for Ashford.   
He might specialize in dragon cuisine, but most of what he made was simple fare for travelers, and   
dragon wasn't the only tasty thing in the lake on which his fishing trawler floated.   
  
He supervised the three fishermen as they pulled their nets from the mouth of the river that   
led into the lake of Laketown. This was the best place to catch fish, especially the succulent trout   
that spawned in this area.   
  
"Got something, Mister Ashford!" one of the sailors called out. "Something big."  
  
Ashford rushed to the stern. "If you see scales, cut it loose! I don't want to risk harming   
any baby dragons!" He chuckled to himself. "They're too delicious when they grow up."  
  
Two sailors pulled the ropes, hoisting the net out of the lake. Ashford watched as their   
catch rose above the deck railing. His eyes went wide.  
  
"GET HER ON THE DECK!" he shouted, drawing his knife. The chef rushed forward   
and grabbed the net, hacking at it with his cooking knife. Tangled in the wire of the net, a   
redheaded sorceress moaned and spat up lake water. The last strand was cut away, and Lina   
Inverse fell to the wooden deck with a thud, coughing.   
  
Ashford leaned over her and examined her. She wasn't conscious yet, and had a nasty   
wound on the left side of her head. "Let's get her to shore!" he called out. The fishing boat turned   
and started back to Laketown.  
  
  
  
Sylphiel moaned low in her throat. "My head…" she whimpered. She opened her eyes,   
but the light coming through the window caused them to burn. She shut them and tried again. She   
was lying in bed, her head on Zelgadis' chest. His arm was wrapped around her, and given how   
strong he was and what that arm was made of, she wasn't going to be able to leave anytime soon.   
  
She took a breath and didn't move. The sound of his heartbeat pounded her aching skull   
mercilessly. Not to mention that the chimera's chest was made of stone and made resting her head   
there the equivalent of resting on a cinder block.   
  
She reached out and grabbed a pillow from nearby. Placing it on his chest, she rested   
against that and closed her eyes again, mentally begging her headache to go away.   
  
(Maybe with a little more sleep,) she thought. She moaned again. She felt so sick. (Is this   
my first hangover?) she thought. She tried to piece together the events of last night. The priestess   
fervently hoped she hadn't embarrassed Zelgadis dear in any way.  
  
She sighed quietly and held him. After everything that had happened to her, after seeing her   
home destroyed then resurrected for Phibrizzo's use, Gourry being kidnapped, and the Wind   
Dragon King's attempt on Zarak Tor, she realized that this was the only place she truly felt safe;   
his arms. Nothing bad could happen to her here. Her Zelgadis dear would never allow it. And as   
for him…   
  
Amelia had been right. A part of her was afraid of losing yet another loved one. That   
wasn't going to happen. Not this time. She had power of her own now, and if anyone ever tried to   
harm him, they'd have to go through her. Lina Inverse wasn't the only sorceress with the power of   
Shabranigdo at her disposal. She knew the Dragon Slave too.  
  
And she would use it too. She hated violence, but she swore to Cepheid there and then if   
anyone ever tried to hurt him, she'd send them to meet Phibrizzo in Hell personally.  
  
She reached out and held him a little tighter. Things had worked out, though. Zelgadis   
dear still loved her, and everything was going to be okay. The trip to Borden had been a complete   
disaster, but in the end, there was a happy ending.  
  
Now if only her head would stop pounding…  
  
Zelgadis tensed beneath her and groaned. Apparently, he was feeling the same pain.  
  
"Good morning," she muttered sleepily.  
  
"Good morning," he replied, still only semi-conscious. He winced. "What did we drink   
last night?"  
  
"IdunnoZelgadissssdear," she mumbled. "Sleep," she muttered.  
  
"We should go," he told her tiredly. "We still have to meet Lina."  
  
"No," Sylphiel pouted. "My head hurts. Let's just sleep for awhile longer."  
  
"Come on, Syl chan," he prodded. "It's not going to get any better for at least a few   
hours."  
  
She groaned and refused to get up.  
  
Zelgadis took a breath and gave up, instead starting to stroke the shrine maiden's hair with   
his hand. Sylphiel sighed and snuggled closer. A moment later, she asked. "'Syl chan?'"  
  
"Long story," Zelgadis told her.  
  
"I like it," she sighed. "Zelgadis dear."  
  
The sounds of footsteps running up the stairs could be heard through the walls. A second   
later, their door burst open.  
  
"MISTER ZELGADIS! MISS SYLPHIEL! COME QUICK!!"  
  
Both of them grabbed their heads and moaned in pain at Amelia's shout.  
  
The princess saw their state of undress and quickly turned, her face flushing bright red.   
"Sorry," she muttered.  
  
"Amelia, what's wrong?" Zelgadis asked painfully.  
  
"IT'S MISS LINA, MISTER Z…"  
  
"It hurts!" Sylphiel cried, her hands on either side of her head, her eyes clenched shut.  
  
"Amelia…please…the volume…"  
  
"Oh," Amelia said in understanding. She started whispering. "Miss Lina just washed up.   
Mister Gourry is missing, and it looks like Miss Lina was in a fight."  
  
"WHAT?!" they both cried, immediately regretting it a moment later. "OOOWWW!!!"  
  
"Um…Why don't you guys get dressed. I'll meet you downstairs." With that, Amelia ran   
from the room.  
  
"I'm never drinking again!" Sylphiel wailed.  
  
Zelgadis took a deep breath and climbed out of bed…  
  
  
  
Amelia quietly opened the door and led them inside. "I cast a recovery spell as soon as   
Mister Ashford brought me here, but she hasn't woken up yet."  
  
Sylphiel, more adept at the healing arts, stepped over to Lina's bedside and checked her   
over. Amelia had done a good job with her spell. The sorceress was just asleep now.   
  
As if thinking it caused a reaction, Lina began to stir. She slowly opened her crimson eyes   
and found Sylphiel. "Sylphiel?" she asked weakly. "What happened?"  
  
"Mister Ashford and Miss Amelia found you half-drowned in a lake," Sylphiel explained   
in concern.   
  
Lina closed her eyes and groaned as she remembered what happened. "Brilliant move,   
Lina," she muttered in self-reproach. "Sorcery Genius my a…" She broke off and blinked up the   
shrine maiden. "Ashford? I'm in Laketown?"  
  
"Yes," Sylphiel told her with a nod.  
  
"How's Gourry?" Lina asked.   
  
"Miss Lina, we haven't seen you OR Gourry since the night we left Atlas City."  
  
Lina blinked. "You mean…He hasn't shown up yet?"  
  
"No," the priestess told her, concern all over her face.   
  
The redhead thought for a moment then threw the covers off, hopping out of bed. It was   
then that she noticed she was naked.  
  
She shrieked and dived back under the covers.  
  
"Your clothes were drenched, Miss Lina," Amelia supplied. "They're being washed.  
  
"Well go get them!" Lina cried at the princess, almost angrily. Amelia flinched in shock.   
"We don't have much time! If Gourry's not here it means THEY have him!"  
  
"They?" Zelgadis asked.  
  
"A sorcerer and some chick with a sword ambushed us on the way here," she explained.   
"We got separated in the fight. If you haven't met up with him yet, then they must have him."   
  
She took an unsteady breath.  
  
"And if they have him…" She left the thought unspoken. The redhead turned back to   
Amelia. "Amelia, get my clothes," she said quietly. "We're going back for him."  
  
Zelgadis and Sylphiel shared a concerned look. If these attackers were able to take on   
Lina AND Gourry and give better than they got, they were in for a fight.  
  
The bandit-killer looked out the window. (Hang on, Gourry…)  
  
  
To Be Continued…  



	7. Jealousy?! Filia Struts Her Stuff!

Slayers is the property of Kadokawa Shoten.  
  
SHADOW LINA: Isn't love such a wonderful thing?! Mister Xellos likes Miss Dragon   
Lady! IT'S SO CUTE!!!  
  
FILIA: It is NOT cute! It's a horrible situation! I hate him! I hate him! I HATE HIM!!!  
  
XELLOS: (Sighs longingly.) Did you hear that? She hates me…She really does…  
  
SHADOW LINA: Awwwwwwwww!!!! Miss Dragon Lady likes Mister Xellos back, I   
think!  
  
FILIA: If you ever suggest such a thing again….I'll kill you…and eat you…I swear to the   
Fire Dragon King here and now…  
  
SHADOW LINA: (Whimpers.) I'm sorry!  
  
Faces: After!   
Part 7  
Jealousy?!  
Filia Struts Her Stuff!  
  
  
  
Filia Ul Copt sighed in her sleep and tried to get comfortable. She had never liked   
camping out. It was so hard to get comfortable in a sleeping roll on top of the hard earth.   
She wished that they had gotten to a town with an inn before night had fallen, but that was   
just their luck.  
  
She could hear birds singing not far away. It must be morning. She rolled over   
again and opened her blue eyes.  
  
Violet eyes stared back at her.  
  
"Good morning, Little Dragon!" Xellos greeted her, lying right next to her in the   
bedroll. He held up a kettle and a cup on a saucer. "I made you some morning tea!"  
  
Travelers on the road up to five miles away saw the explosion. Most, having heard   
that Lina Inverse was in the general area, merely shrugged it off.  
  
  
  
The group that walked down the main road towards Atlas City that day wasn't a   
very happy one. The explosion from Filia's surprised outburst had singed their clothes and   
destroyed most of their supplies.   
  
Naga grit her teeth as she marched. Now she knew why she had never formed a   
gang before. Jeffrey and Shadow Lina just looked miserable, soot and ash coating their   
faces. Filia merely looked pissed off and kept shooting glares at the Mazoku walking next   
to the dark-haired sorceress.  
  
Xellos, on the other hand, looked no different than normal, aside from the fact that   
he was too busy concentrating on the book in his hands to give his usual, carefree smile.   
Naga leaned over and read the title of the book he was so intent upon.  
  
"'Mazoku Are From Mars, Dragons Are From Venus,'" she read out loud.   
  
Xellos looked up and smiled. "Yes, well, you're never too old to pick up a few   
pointers."  
  
She arched an eyebrow. "Side-Kick, I'm not sure it's a good idea."  
  
Xellos blinked. "We don't have a No Fraternization Policy, do we?"  
  
Naga laughed. "No, of course not! But I'm not sure we can stand many more   
morning surprises like today's."  
  
The Mazoku seemed to give this some thought. "It seemed to go perfectly fine to   
me."   
  
The sorceress face-faulted. "She blasted you! And US!"  
  
He smiled. "Yes! An even better reaction than I had hoped!" She looked at him   
quizzically. "You simply have no idea what a thrill it is to feel that much anger in one   
place at a single instant," he told her.   
  
"I'm not sure I want to get into this," Naga said, shaking her head.  
  
"Probably best that you don't," Xellos told her, going back to his book. "It's a   
wonderful ride for me, but eventually it'd kill you."  
  
"Uh huh," was Naga's only comment. She looked up and sighed in relief at the   
sight that met her. "A town! Thank god! Now we can get washed up and find something to   
eat!"  
  
"And how exactly will we pay for it?" Xellos asked her, his nose still buried in   
that book. "My blushing bride incinerated all of our money."  
  
The White Serpent growled, then smiled. "What are we worried about? I'm Naga   
the White Serpent! I'm sure the citizens of this town will fall all over themselves to help   
us out when they hear they have a genuine hero in their midst! OOOOHOHOHOHOHO!!!"  
  
"Yes…." Xellos replied, still reading intently. "'Chapter Six, Wooing Your   
Dragon…'"  
  
  
  
Naga came flying out of the general store, landing on her face. The heavy-set man   
standing in the doorway clapped the dust off his hands.  
  
"Last time, lady!" he cried. "No money! No goods!"  
  
Jeffrey and Shadow Lina helped the sorceress to her feet. Naga turned on the man   
and adjusted her hair. "How DARE you?!"  
  
By now four more men had shown up, ready to help the merchant with the riff raff.   
  
"Do you know who I am!?" Naga cried. She posed. "I am NAGA THE WHITE   
SERPENT!!"  
  
"Hello there!" Xellos put in. The merchant and the other men looked at him and   
blinked.  
  
"Oh," Naga said exasperated. "And this is Xellos, my Side-Kick of Questionable   
Worth."  
  
Xellos stood behind Naga and faced them. From behind, Jeffrey, Shadow Lina, and   
Filia saw the looks on the men's faces change to terror. A few horns and tentacles could   
be seen sprouting from Xellos' head, and they could only imagine what kind of horror he   
turned his face into for the men's benefit. In a flash, they took off running, screaming in   
fear.   
  
Naga smiled and nodded proudly. "They've heard of me."  
  
"Your skill and reputation obviously precede you!" Xellos told her, his face back   
to normal.  
  
"Wow, Miss Naga! That was great!" Shadow Lina piped up.  
  
Filia found a good sized tree and started banging her head against it.  
  
"Now, then!" Naga announced, marching into the store. "Let's get the supplies we   
need!"  
  
  
  
"Miss Naga, isn't this stealing?" Jeffrey asked as the White Serpent loaded his   
arms with a sack of rice.  
  
Naga rolled her eyes. "Jeffrey, if we were STEALING, wouldn't the town   
constables have shown up by now to stop us?"  
  
"Well…yeah…"  
  
"See?!" she asked. "The merchant left so that we could take what we need in   
peace. Now carry this sack of dried meat while I grab that portable stove…"  
  
Filia looked from side to side, checking for witnesses before hiding a box of tea   
bags in her robes.  
  
"Filia chan! How daring!" Xellos exclaimed, appearing right beside her. "I didn't   
know you had a dangerous, criminal side!"  
  
The dragon shrieked and drew her mace, accidentally knocking over some pots and   
pans on display. "Wha…What are you talking about, namagomi!?"  
  
He grabbed her and hugged her close. She cried out in disgust and struggled vainly.   
Xellos didn't care. "We'll be on the run, you know," he told her. "Evading the law,   
bounty hunters, the army! But they'll never take us alive, Filia chan! Never! It'll just be   
you and I, living from one heist to the next!"  
  
She decked him and sent him staggering back. He reappeared at her side a moment   
later. "Filia chan!" he said with a blush, his hand on his face where she had punched him.   
"And in public, no less!"  
  
She screamed at him and stormed off.  
  
Shadow Lina watched the scene in awe. She blinked and looked off in no   
particular direction. "Love is weird," she commented to herself. She looked at one rack   
and went starry eyed. "OOOH! THE NEW TEEN SORCERESS MAGAZINE!!" She   
bounded off after a copy of the periodical.  
  
"All right! Everyone got what they need?!" Naga asked, her arms overloaded with   
goods, not all of them necessary. They all nodded. "Then let's move out!" As a group, the   
Unbeatable Heroes marched out the door and down the street.   
  
They were almost to the town limit when a man in expensive robes backed up by   
six men with spears stepped into their path. Naga, unable to see over the stolen booty in   
her arms, stopped when she felt Xellos grab her shoulder.  
  
"What?" she asked. "What is it?"  
  
The man in the robes was elderly, a town official by the looks of him. He cleared   
his throat and began. "I can't help but notice that you just knocked over the Mercantile."   
He arched an eyebrow.  
  
Naga said nothing for a good minute. Then, "Prove it."  
  
Everyone else sweatdropped.  
  
"It's all right. We're not here to arrest you," the official assured her. "As a matter   
of fact, we could use a band of thieves such as yourselves."  
  
"Um, excuse me, Sir," Jeffrey broke in. "But we're not thieves. "We're   
FLAMING HEROES!"  
  
Naga dropped her stuff, turned, and grabbed the boy by the collar. "FOR THE   
LAST TIME, WE ARE *NOT* FLAMING HEROES!!!"  
  
"Whatever," the official said with a wave. "The point is, I have a task for you. If   
you accomplish it, you get to keep the stuff you took plus whatever excess treasure you   
find. All you have to do is steal one little item."  
  
Naga's eyes sparkled. "Treasure?!"  
  
Filia put her head in her hands. "Here we go again," she muttered.  
  
  
  
The town official, who it turned out was the Minister of Social Sciences, was   
named Hoven. After taking them back to his office, he kindly offered the group of   
Unbeatable Heroes tea before sitting down behind his desk and getting to the point of the   
matter.  
  
"We have a problem," he told them. "A day's journey from here is a dragon."   
Filia looked up and blinked.   
  
"And you want us to slay it," Naga finished for him. "No prob, we'll be back in   
time for di…"  
  
"No, no, no!" Hoven told her. "You mustn't try to destroy it. It'll kill you all!"  
  
Naga looked at him as if he were from another planet. "Riiiiiiiiight…" she replied.   
  
"The dragon is actually a chimera created by the elves who used to live in this part   
of the continent. It has scales made of pure orihalcon. No attack, magic or otherwise, can   
pierce its skin."  
  
"This old hat AGAIN?!" Naga asked in disgust. She shook her head. "So what do   
you want us to do?"  
  
"The Oridragon is a miser. He steals treasure and keeps it for himself. He's a   
selfish, cruel beast!"  
  
"Kinda like Miss Naga!" Jeffrey piped up. Naga threw him a glare and growled.   
The boy went back to being silent.  
  
"Once, when my department was transporting an ancient text here from Seyruun for   
the museum, the Oridragon attacked the caravan, taking off with the book and all the   
treasure that came with it."  
  
Naga blinked. "What's so special about this book, anyway?"  
  
Hoven paused, then told her. "It was written by an ancient dragon race. It concerns   
the relationship between humans and dragons, and the dragon's role in our   
society……….We think."  
  
The band hit the ground. Naga climbed to her feet and placed her hands on the   
man's desk. "YOU THINK?!"  
  
"Well, yes…I never got a chance to look over the book and translate it. That's why   
it was being sent here. No one has ever actually read it before. They say it was written by   
one of the greatest dragons of all. But until we actually read it, we won't know."  
  
The White Serpent smiled. "We'll take the job."  
  
  
  
"So, why did we take this job again?" Filia asked as the group continued their   
march east.   
  
"Simple logic!" Naga announced. "First, there's the treasure…"  
  
"Which is probably just a pretense to get us to go," Filia told her  
  
"Of course! That won't stop us from getting as much as we can! But what I really   
want is the book!"  
  
"Why the book, Miss Naga?" Shadow Lina asked.  
  
"There's only one book written by a powerful dragon that could be worth this much   
trouble," the White Shadow explained. She stopped and posed theatrically. "THE   
CLAIRE BIBLE!!!"  
  
Shadow Lina blinked. "That sounds familiar," she remarked, her finger to her lip   
in thought.  
  
"Of course it's familiar!" Naga told her, exasperated. "It's the most famous spell   
book in all of history!"  
  
"Oooooh," Shadow Lina replied.  
  
Naga started pulling her hair out, but got ahold of herself. "So the treasure is okay,   
but if we get the book, we can write our own ticket…"  
  
"But you said you'd return the book to Mister Hoven!" Jeffrey cried.  
  
"And that's the beauty of my plan, Jeffrey," the sorceress told him. "We have   
something he doesn't! A way to translate it!"  
  
"How?" Shadow Lina asked.  
  
"We have a dragon!" Naga cried, wrapping her arm around Filia. "Isn't that right,   
o'l Deus Ex Machina?"  
  
Filia sighed.  
  
"We get the book, Filia translates it, and makes a copy for mys…er…ourselves!   
Then we can sell the translated manuscript to the highest bidder! We'll be rich! And   
Mister Hoven gets his original book back. By the time he can translate it and figure out   
what it is, we'll have already sold our copy!"  
  
The three of them stared at her.   
  
Xellos, his nose still buried in his book, was the first to comment.  
  
"Gee, Lucy, you think it'll work?!"  
  
"No smart ass remarks!" Naga ordered in a growl. "Now what do you know about   
this Orihalcon dragon?"  
  
"Surprisingly, not much at all," Xellos confessed. "Outside my area, I'm afraid."  
  
"Well, all we know is that it's impervious to attacks and that it's a man dragon,"   
Shadow Lina piped in.  
  
"Yes…" Naga mused. "A MAN dragon…" She turned and smiled at one member   
of her party.  
  
"What?" Filia asked. "What are you looking at?"  
  
"Yeah," Xellos chimed in darkly. "What are you looking at?"  
  
Naga's grin magnified. "A WOMAN dragon…"  
  
"Oh no! No way! BAD idea!" Filia told her.  
  
"I agree!" Xellos threw in, putting himself between Naga and Filia. "No fiance of   
mine is going to associate with such a beast."  
  
"I am NOT your fiance," Filia growled.  
  
"Filia," Naga began, grinning. "You're a team player, aren't you?"  
  
"I…Suppose so…"  
  
"Then it's agreed! You'll…distract…the Oridragon, while we get the book!"  
  
"And how do you intend I do that?" Filia asked, her eye twitching.  
  
"Yes, just what are you suggesting my Little Dragon do?" Xellos asked, his eyes   
narrowing.  
  
"You're a female dragon!" Naga cried as if that explained it all. "Just go in there,   
smile…flaunt your wingspan….flick your tail from side to side flirtatiously…"  
  
Filia gasped in shock. "I do NOT just go and show off my tail! What kind of hussy   
do you think I am!?" In her distress, the tail in question made an appearance, pink bow and   
all…  
  
"Filia, I understand that this might be uncomfortable," Naga told her. "But we   
need you! If you don't go in there, I'm going to have to send in Lina and Jeffrey with no   
distraction at all!"  
  
"Huh?!" Shadow Lina cried in fright.  
  
"Sometimes, Filia," Naga went on, posing dramatically, "A situation calls for us   
all to give our best, to do things we wouldn't ordinarily do. Because people we care about   
need us."  
  
Filia sighed.  
  
"So just put a bag over his head and do it for the team!" Naga finished.  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"Okay, you don't have to go quite that far," Naga quickly amended. "Just…use   
your womanly charm to distract him for a bit. We'll take care of the rest."  
  
"I really hate this plan," Xellos muttered.  
  
"See?! Even Xellos is on board!" the White Serpent cried. Filia wasn't   
convinced. "Okay, look at it this way," Naga tried again. "Twenty percent plus a ten   
percent bonus after we sell the manuscript. At the going rate of Claire Bible manuscripts   
and given their rarity, that could come out to about…" She did some math in her head.   
"Close to ten thousand goldpieces." She smiled. "That's a place at the Seyruun Academy   
of Sorcery for little Val…at least…"  
  
Filia sighed. "Very well…"  
  
Xellos growled.  
  
  
  
"That must be his cave," Jeffrey said, pointing out the hole at the base of the large   
mountain, right where Hoven said it would be.  
  
"A cave," Filia grumbled. "How stereotypical…"  
  
A roar from the cave's direction confirmed the assumption that it was the home of   
the Oridragon.  
  
"Side-Kick of Questionable Worth?" Naga asked. When Xellos didn't appear, she   
huffed. "Off sulking, I guess."  
  
"It must be hard on him," Shadow Lina remarked. "He must feel so horrible   
knowing what Miss Dragon Lady is about to do."  
  
"Finally, an upside to this damn plan," Filia mumbled.   
  
"Are you ready?" Naga asked.  
  
"No, but let's do it anyway," the dragon grumbled.  
  
"We'll give you ten minutes to get properly acquainted, then Jeffrey and Lina will   
go in for the book. I'll supervise from out here and provide back-up if it's needed."  
  
"Fine, fine, whatever," Filia remarked. She took a breath and paused. "Jeffrey,   
turn around."  
  
"Why?" the knight asked.  
  
The dragon blushed. "Just…turn around," she begged.  
  
"Well, okay." Jeffrey turned his back to the blonde.  
  
Filia closed her eyes. The jewel on her chest began to glow. She cried out as a   
bright, golden light consumed her. The light expanded, growing larger and larger, then   
subsided. Soon, Filia's dragon form stood before them.   
  
The dragon sighed again and lumbered towards the cave, mumbling about her sanity   
and how did she ever let them talk her into this.  
  
"Good luck, Miss Dragon Lady!" Shadow Lina called out with a wave.  
  
In a flash, Xellos appeared behind them, watching as the bow on Filia's tail   
disappeared into the cave. The Mazoku grit his teeth and growled.  
  
  
  
"Um…Hello?" Filia called out as she walked into the cave. She continued inside,   
muttering, "Val chan, no matter what anyone says about your mommy, she did it because   
she loves you…"  
  
A snarl from inside made her stop in her tracks.   
  
"Er…Is anyone there?" she called out. She poked her head into a chamber and   
blinked. Light came down from a hole in the ceiling, the sunlight illuminating a king's   
treasure in gold and gems inside. She blinked in shock. Naga would be pleased, at least…  
  
Something moved from the shadows. She watched as a dragon almost twice her   
size uncurled itself and started lumbering towards her. His scales were a gold-silver color   
that sparkled in the sunlight from the ceiling. He snarled at her and rose up on his hind   
legs, staring down at her.  
  
Filia gulped and began to sweat. "Um…Hi…My name is Filia…"  
  
He didn't answer her. He cocked his head and sniffed.  
  
She took a step back and cleared her throat. How the hell was she supposed to do   
this? "Um…Could you help me?" she asked. "My…er…I'm…um…far from home, and   
I'm very tired and thirsty," she said, coming upon a plan. "Could you maybe…offer a   
pretty girl something to drink?" she asked. She tried smiling.  
  
The Oridragon stared at her.   
  
"Uh…heh heh heh…" Filia laughed nervously. She flicked her tail from side to   
side.  
  
The Oridragon growled and started for her.  
  
  
  
"Okay! Off you go!" Naga told them.  
  
"Do we have to, Miss Naga?" Shadow Lina asked pitifully. "Dragons can be so   
scary…"  
  
"That's why I'm sending big, strong Jeffrey to protect you!" Naga told her.  
  
Shadow Lina looked at Jeffrey and went starry eyed. Images of Jeffrey rescuing her   
from an evil dragon popped into her head. He'd slay the evil beast, hold her in his arms,   
lean over…  
  
She squealed in delight. "Oh, Lord Jeffrey! How bold!"  
  
Naga sweatdropped.  
  
"Well…Okay," Jeffrey said, scratching the back of his head.  
  
"Good! Now get going!" She gave them both a push towards the cave entrance.   
The sorceress and the swordsman started walking. Naga sighed and shook her head. "I   
always get the hard jobs…"  
  
She turned, waiting for a response from Xellos, but found the Mazoku staring at the   
cave entrance. His hands were wrapped around his staff, white-knuckled as half-inch   
impressions were made in the wood by his fingers. His teeth were gritted in either pain or   
anger.   
  
"Side-Kick, I want you to start including more fiber in your diet. I'm worried   
about you."  
  
Xellos ignored her and continued to stare at the cave.  
  
  
  
The Oridragon leaned down and nudged a half-eaten cow carcass, overrun with   
flies and maggots, towards Filia.  
  
The golden dragon looked down at the meat and sniffed in disgust. "Um…No   
thanks. I had…rotting meat…for lunch…"  
  
He narrowed his eyes at her and licked his lips.  
  
Filia gulped and took a step back. "So…um…Where are you from originally?"   
She took another step back. She heard something below her and looked down. Shadow   
Lina and Jeffrey had just entered the cavern. They looked up at her. She eyed in the   
direction of the treasure. Jeffrey nodded and gave her a thumbs up.  
  
The Oridragon growled, prompting the female dragon to turn back to him. "I'm   
sorry…Did you say something?" He responded by moving towards her.  
  
Meanwhile, Jeffrey and Shadow Lina were making their way along the wall toward   
the mountain of treasure. They started to search for the Claire Bible manuscript, a tiny   
book in a sea of treasure. They began digging around in the gold and jewels, searching.  
  
Filia saw this and knew she still had to keep the male dragon distracted. She   
backed away from him and smiled. "So…What's your mother like?"  
  
The Oridragon licked his lips again. Before she could react, he had slithered up   
next to her. Filia gulped. She tried backing away again, but felt his tail moving up that   
side.  
  
"Hey, now! I don't move that fast!" she complained. She broke free and ducked to   
the other side of the cavern. He growled at her and moved towards her, but warily this   
time. Filia tried to come up with a plan…  
  
  
  
Shadow Lina dug through a chest full of gems and sighed. "Nothing!"  
  
Jeffrey tipped over a pot full of gold coins and shook his head. "Maybe it's not   
here," he suggested.  
  
"Ack! Hey!" they heard Filia cry out.  
  
"Well, Miss Dragon Lady can't keep running away from Mister Dragon for very   
long," Shadow Lina pointed out.   
  
"Right, I'll keep looking." Jeffrey resumed digging through the treasure.  
  
Shadow Lina decided to try something. She closed her eyes and held out her hand,   
letting her powers lead her. "Great powers of eternity," she chanted, "Guide my hand to   
what I seek most…" Her eyes closed, she allowed the magic gathered in her hand to lead   
her. One step…Two steps…   
  
Her hand reached down and grabbed something.  
  
She opened her eyes.  
  
Jeffrey looked over his shoulder and down at Shadow Lina's hand…  
  
Which happened to be connected to his rear end.  
  
"Um…" he said with a blush.  
  
Shadow Lina began to turn red…then crimson…then purple… She sighed and   
fainted dead away.  
  
  
  
Filia saw Shadow Lina faint and Jeffrey's attempts to revive her. She sighed. The   
Oridragon growled, and she looked back at her new would-be suitor. He was staring at   
her in a way that made her blush in embarrassment. He took a step towards her.  
  
"So…what's your favorite color?" Filia asked, backing away again.  
  
The Oridragon snarled and dashed at her. Filia squeaked and rushed to her right,   
running around a large pile of treasure. The Oridragon looked at her over the treasure and   
suddenly rushed around the other side. The golden dragon "EEK!"'d and ran around the   
pile of gold, keeping it securely between him and her.  
  
"Don't come near me!" Filia cried. "I'm not that kind of girl! EEK!!" She ran   
around the pile again. The Oridragon chased her around the gold pile like a Republican   
senator chasing his secretary around his desk.   
  
Meanwhile, Jeffrey was doing his best to wake up Shadow Lina. The petite   
sorceress was still out cold, a small trickle of blood dripped from her nose.  
  
"Jeez, Miss Lina!" Jeffrey exclaimed. "Wake up! Please!" He reached out and   
grabbed a nearby book, using it to fan the young sorceress.  
  
He stopped and blinked. His head turned and looked at his make-shift fan. He   
couldn't read the characters on the cover, but it was the only book there.   
  
"I FOUND IT!" he cried.   
  
"Huh?" Shadow Lina muttered, her eyes opening.   
  
"Look, Miss Lina! I found it!" He showed her the book proudly.  
  
"That's wonderful, Lord Jeffrey!" she cried, snapping fully awake.  
  
"We better get this to Miss Naga!" Jeffrey told her. She nodded.   
  
"Wait. Do we have any time left?" the sorceress asked.  
  
"Get away from me!" Filia cried. They turned and saw the golden dragon   
throwing a handful of treasure over the pile at the Oridragon.  
  
"A little, I think," Jeffrey told her.   
  
"Let's grab some of this treasure first! Miss Naga will be so proud!" They started   
filling their pockets with gold.  
  
"AIIIIIIIIIII!!!" Filia cried, dashing to another side of the pile. "I don't even kiss   
on a first date! Leave me alone!" Finally, in her fear, she called out,  
  
"HELP!!"  
  
  
  
Naga nodded sagely. "Everything appears to be going well," she noted. "Don't   
you…" She turned to Xellos just in time to see him disappear. She blinked in puzzlement.   
"Hmmm…I wonder what's wrong with him."  
  
  
  
Filia felt her wings hit the wall and knew she was trapped. The Oridragon   
continued towards her. "Stay back," she warned. "I don't want to hurt you!" It was an   
empty threat, and she knew it. With those orihalcon scales, her Laser Breath attack might   
as well be pepperoni breath.   
  
She recoiled as she felt the male's hot breath against her golden scales. She knew   
this was a bad idea! She knew it! Now if she was lucky, she might be able to pry this   
disgusting male's paws off her and make a dash for the exit…  
  
IF she was lucky…  
  
She scrunched up against the wall and whimpered in frightful anticipation.  
  
Suddenly, there was something between her and the Oridragon. She blinked.  
  
The Oridragon blinked in shock and snarled at the intruder. Xellos, floating barely   
a foot from his snout, snarled back, reached back with his staff, and swung, smashing the   
dragon in the nose with it! The Oridragon went flying back through the air, striking the far   
wall and collapsing. Boulders and stalactites fell from the ceiling, shaken down from the   
force of the impact.  
  
Filia gasped in shock. "Xellos?!"  
  
"Did he touch you?" Xellos asked quietly, not turning to her.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
He turned to her, fury written all over his face. "DID HE TOUCH YOU?!"  
  
She recoiled from the fire in his tone. Before she could answer one way or the   
other, the Oridragon had returned to his feet. He opened his mouth, magic energy gathering   
there.  
  
"XE…" Filia cried, but before she could get the name out, the Oridragon's laser   
breath lashed out at the trickster priest!  
  
The blue bolt of energy struck the Mazoku dead on, reflecting off an energy barrier   
he had erected around himself. Xellos turned and lashed out with his hand! A blast of dark   
energy flew from his fingertips and struck the wall above the Oridragon's head. More   
stone debris fell onto the dragon, forcing it to the floor.  
  
Xellos disappeared in a flash of light and reappeared on the floor near the dazed   
reptilian. The Mazoku marched toward him, his face a storm of anger and hate. He   
grimaced at the dragon and looked down to find the beast's tail near his feet. He snarled,   
raised his staff, and thrust downward, embedding the weapon into the beast's flesh,   
THROUGH the orihalcon scales, and pinning it to the rock floor.  
  
The Oridragon cried out in pain, a cry that doubled in magnitude and volume as   
Xellos began to channel lightning through the staff and into the creature. He stopped for a   
moment, then began again, black lightning running up the dragon's tail into the rest of its   
body.  
  
"Xellos! Stop it!" Filia cried.   
  
The trickster priest either didn't hear her or was so deeply enraged he didn't care.   
He blasted the Oridragon with another jolt of dark lightning.  
  
Filia turned and saw Shadow Lina and Jeffrey running out of the cave with a chest   
of treasure between them. She turned back to Xellos. A golden glow surrounded her as   
she began to transform into her human body. As the transformation finished, the Oridragon   
screamed again.   
  
She rushed up to the priest. "Xellos! Please! Stop it! He's just an animal! He   
didn't know any better! Please!"  
  
He didn't turn to her; just stared down at the dragon hatefully.  
  
She reached out and grabbed his shoulder. "Xellos! PLEASE!"  
  
The Mazoku seemed to snap out of it and raised his head, turning to her. He smiled.   
"Very well, Filia chan. If that's what you'd like." He pulled the staff from the dragon's   
tail and started for the exit. Filia sighed in relief and started after him.   
  
She swallowed nervously and looked at the back of Xellos' head. What was that   
all about? She blinked as a rumble sounded throughout the cave. She looked up at the   
ceiling, then at the walls at all the damage Xellos and the Oridragon had caused.  
  
Filia squealed and started to run for the cavern's opening. Just as she and Xellos   
were leaving, the ceiling collapsed, burying the treasure, the Oridragon, and everything   
else in the cave under a few hundred tonnes of rock.  
  
"Dear Cepheid," Filia gasped, looking at it.  
  
"I'm sure he'll dig his way out," Xellos assured her, not even pausing to look at it.   
She looked at him, still unsure of what to say to him, so she said nothing.  
  
He disappeared as Naga, Jeffrey, and Shadow Lina were running up to her.  
  
  
  
Naga thrust the book, a quill, and some paper into the dragon's hand. They had   
barely given her fifteen minutes to recover from her ordeal, and now they expected her to   
translate a book for them.  
  
She was really starting to not like this job…  
  
(It's Val's future,) she told herself. She looked at the book and read the title. She   
DID understand the language. It was taught to her at the Fire Dragon King's temple.  
  
"Can you read it?" Naga asked anxiously. "Can you?"  
  
Filia nodded. "Yes."  
  
"LUCKY!" Naga squealed in delight.   
  
"What's it say?!" Shadow Lina asked.  
  
"'To Serve Mankind,'" Filia read the title.  
  
"Woah," Jeffrey commented. "Must be some book, huh?"  
  
Filia opened it and began to read the first page.  
  
Naga, meanwhile, was looking up at the sky and thanking Cepheid for her genius.  
  
Right up until Filia started laughing.  
  
Not only laughing…  
  
Laughing HYSTERICALLY.  
  
"What's so funny?!" Naga asked. "What is it?!"  
  
Filia was bent over at the waist, laughing so hard she could barely breathe.  
  
"Maybe it's a spell about humor?" Jeffrey asked.  
  
"Maybe it's cursed!" Shadow Lina threw in.  
  
Filia wiped tears from her eyes and pointed at the book. She managed to get one   
syllable out, but started laughing again.  
  
"What?!" Naga asked. "What could be so funny about the Claire Bible?!"  
  
"It's…It's…" The dragon started laughing again. "It's not the Claire Bible!" she   
cried. She bent over again, gasping for breath. "'To Serve Mankind!'" she cried out.   
"IT'S A COOKBOOK!!!"  
  
Naga went dead white. "What?" she gasped out.  
  
"IT'S…IT'S…" Filia tried to get out.   
  
Shadow Lina took the book and looked at one of the pictures. She turned green and   
covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh God!" she cried, running off somewhere to throw   
up.  
  
"A cookbook," Naga muttered. "A dragon's cookbook…I really should have seen   
that one coming…"  
  
"Well…It's not a total loss," Jeffrey told her. "We did get that treasure chest."  
  
The White Serpent sighed. "That should pay for a few days at least," she agreed.   
"Come on, Unbeatable Heroes. Let's get going."  
  
Filia was still laughing, clutching her sides.  
  
"Jeffrey, Lina, pick up Filia," Naga ordered.  
  
The two humans picked up the dragon by the arms and started to drag the laughing   
Filia down the road.  
  
"A COOKBOOK!!!" Hysterical laughing could be heard all the way back to town.  
  
  
  
Filia sighed and rolled over in her bed. Her twenty percent cut of the treasure chest   
gave her enough to buy a few shares in the local mercantile they had robbed just a few days   
ago. It seemed to do good business. She had a bit of gold left over. Enough for a suite in   
the local inn. The bed was soft and comfortable and warm…  
  
And one hundred percent Mazoku free.  
  
She shivered as she thought about what she had seen. During all her travels with   
the trickster priest, he had always worn a carefree air about him. No matter how difficult   
things seemed to get, he'd hold a smile and shrug it off.  
  
Yesterday, she had seen something truly frightening.  
  
Xellos enraged.  
  
She swallowed nervously. Had she underestimated this whole situation? Xellos   
had called his condition, "Peak." If it was substantial enough to have a name, what did it   
truly mean then? Was it some kind of metaphysical imperative driving him to mate? He   
said he had chosen her. Was that supposed to mean that he considered her already his on   
some kind of physiological level?  
  
When he had first told her, she had shrugged it off as just another of his sick games.   
What if that had been a mistake? She had told him she'd just never give in. How long   
would he wait before he decided he had waited long enough? What would he do then?   
Choose another or…  
  
She shivered. He said he wouldn't go that far, but what if by that time he no longer   
had control of himself? She wished she knew more about the Mazoku. It was times like   
this she missed her sister. Amara Ul Copt was, among other things, learned in Mazoku   
practices and history.  
  
Too bad she was a cultist flake…  
  
She sighed and closed her eyes. Time enough to worry in the morning. Right now,   
she had a comfortable bed. She wanted to sleep in it.   
  
That's when she heard it.   
  
Some…odd…unidentifiable…ANNOYING sound coming from outside her   
window.   
  
There! There it was again!  
  
It kind of sounded like…  
  
(Someone jumping up and down on a dead dradora…) she thought.  
  
There it was again. She covered her head with her pillow, but the noise was still   
there. She growled and got out of bed. Walking to her window, she opened it and looked   
down from her second story suite.  
  
Xellos was standing under her window, a silver bar about six inches long was at   
his lips. He'd blow into one side, moving it from side to side and covering the other side   
with his hand. It was a fair bet it was the source of the noise.  
  
"Namagomi!" she cried down at him. "What do you think you're doing?!" She   
tried to tone down her voice to an angry whisper, wary of waking anyone else.  
  
Xellos looked up at her and smiled. "Ah! Filia chan! Just thought I'd give you a   
midnight serenade with my harmonica! I've written several songs just for you, you   
know…"  
  
Three windows down, Filia heard Naga's voice cry out. "OH DEAR GOD! NOT   
AGAIN!!"  
  
"I call this one, 'Little Dragon.'" He placed the instrument to his lips and began to   
play.   
  
"Shhhhh!!!" Filia hissed at him, waving her hands anxiously. Other windows   
around hers were beginning to light up. "You're waking everyone up! Stop it!"  
  
Xellos ignored her and continued to play.  
  
"Hey! Come on! It's the middle of the night!" one woman screamed from another   
window.  
  
"I've got to get up early tomorrow! Knock it off!" another shouted.  
  
From somewhere else, a child began to cry.  
  
Xellos played on.  
  
"You're embarrassing me!" Filia cried. She realized he already knew that when   
she saw a faint smile behind the harmonica. She growled.  
  
From nowhere, a boot flew down at the trickster priest and bounced off a force   
field.  
  
"SHUT UP, YOU STUPID PIECE OF SHIT!" someone yelled.  
  
"SHUT UP!"  
  
"MAKE IT STOP!!"  
  
"SIDE-KICK! THIS NIGHT AT THE INN IS COMING OUT OF YOUR CUT!!"  
  
Filia sighed and rubbed her temples. She leaned against the window sill in defeat.   
"I'm never going to get a good night's sleep ever again," she wept.  
  
The Mazoku continued to play, various articles and debris hurled down at him from   
the windows of the inn bounced harmlessly off his force fields, allowing him to serenade   
his dragon far into the night…  
  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
  
Author's Note: Yes, "To Serve Mankind" is borrowed from one of the best episodes of   
"The Twilight Zone," ever written. If you've never seen the episode, "To Serve Man," go   
find it and rent it. ^_^  



	8. 

Slayers is the property of Kadokawa Shoten.  
  
SYLPHIEL: I can't believe it! Gourry!? Kidnapped?!   
  
AMELIA: Again? If I didn't know better, I'd say the author of this series was running out of   
ideas…  
  
ZELGADIS: Well, he HAS kicked the orihalcon thing to death…  
  
LINA: EXCUSE ME!!! GOURRY! KIDNAPPED! REMEMBER?!  
  
AMELIA: That's right! (POSES) OUR FRIEND AND COMPATRIOT, GOURRY GABRIEV…  
  
REST OF CAST: WE GET IT!!!  
  
  
Faces: After!  
Part 8  
P.O.W.!  
Give Back Gourry!  
  
  
  
  
  
Gourry was wet.  
  
Opening his eyes he soon found out why. He looked up above him and found his hands   
secured by ropes above his head. He appeared to be in some kind of cavern. From above them, a   
tiny waterfall was cascading down the cave's wall, just enough to keep him wet and   
uncomfortable. Looking down, he saw that he was shirtless and his sword was missing.  
  
"Rise and shine, Mister Gabriev! It's another beautiful day!" he heard the oily voice of   
the red priest wannabe, Zero, call out. He looked to his left and found the man striding towards   
him. Greysword and another creature, something vaguely insectoid walked after him. "I believe   
you know Miss Greysword," Zero mentioned.  
  
"Yeah, we've met," Gourry muttered.  
  
Greysword didn't look happy to see him either. Zero just smiled and gestured to the   
bipedal insect. "This is Mister Kik," he said. "He's an expert."  
  
"Expert on what?" the swordsman asked.  
  
"The application of pain and terror, Mister Gabriev."  
  
Gourry smiled. "It won't do any good to torture me," he said. "Nothing you could do   
could stand up to what Lina would do to me if I betrayed her."  
  
"We'll see," Zero told him smugly. "Unless of course you'd like to tell me where Mister   
Greywords is now and save us some time."  
  
Gourry didn't say anything.  
  
"Pity," Zero remarked. He turned to Kik. "Draw it out." Kik nodded in agreement and   
started toward Gourry. The creature raised a chitinous claw. Blue sparks of electricity arced   
between his sharp fingers. "Have you ever been hit with a Dig Volt?" Zero asked him.   
"Remarkable effects on the human body. Lightning causes a chemical reaction in your muscles,"   
the red wannabe continued. "Every muscle in your body contracts at the same time. Since this   
reaction occurs to each counter muscle along with each muscle at the exact same time, the subject   
is frozen immobile in pain, unable to do anything to stop it." He nodded.  
  
Kik touched him with the claw. Gourry's body tensed up as arcs of blue electricity ran up   
and down his body. After a minute, what seemed like a lifetime to him, Kik pulled away.  
  
"Impressive, ne?" Zero asked. "Tell me where Zelgadis Greywords is."  
  
Gourry looked at him and spat, the spittle striking the man's immaculate robes. Zero rolled   
his eyes and waved at him. Kik touched Gourry again. This time, an almost inaudible scream flew   
from the swordsman's lips.  
  
Zero turned to Greysword. "This is going to take awhile." She nodded and decided to   
leave the room. She didn't have as much stomach for this part of the job as Zero did. She picked   
up her pack and started for the cave's entrance. She'd might as well take this opportunity to get   
her knife back. Once Gabriev broke they'd have to move fast.  
  
She bumped into a stalagmite, causing her bag to jostle. From inside, a soft tune began to   
play. She stopped and reached inside, pulling out a small music box. The bump with the stalagmite   
had caused it to open. She listened to the tune for a few moments before closing it again.  
  
Without a word, she walked out of the cave.  
  
  
  
Lina knelt down and looked down the hole in the road. It was filled with water. She   
nodded and put it together. The red priest duplicate must have used an ice spell on Gourry, then   
trapped him with a Bephis Bring. The ice had melted, filling the hole with water.  
  
She stood up and sighed.   
  
(Why did you split up?) her mind asked her accusingly. (Why did you leave him here?)  
  
"Oi, Lina!" She looked up and saw Zelgadis waving her over. He was standing in the   
forest not far away. Sylphiel and Amelia were with him. She jogged over to him, and he pointed   
down at the floor. Two sets of footprints ran alongside two parallel lines in the dirt.   
  
She nodded. "Two men dragging a third."  
  
"Then they really have Mister Gourry?" Amelia asked.  
  
"Looks that way," Lina mumbled. Her head still hurt, but thanks to Amelia's spell, she'd   
be fine. Didn't stop her headache, though. "Think you can follow these tracks?" she asked   
Zelgadis. He nodded. "Okay. I'm going back to Namor," she announced. They looked at her   
quizzically. "I think I might have a lead. Amelia, why don't you come with me and we'll check it   
out. Zel, you and Sylphiel follow this trail and see what you can come up with."  
  
They all accepted this plan with nods.  
  
"One more thing," Lina went on. "If you see these guys, don't try anything until we get   
there. They're good."  
  
Zelgadis nodded. "Come on, Sylphiel." The chimera and the priestess started deeper into   
the woods.  
  
Lina turned dully and started walking down the road. Amelia followed alongside the   
redhead, picking up on her sour mood. They traveled silently for a good mile, neither speaking.  
  
The sorceress' thoughts went back to Gourry. It was like Phibrizzo all over again. He had   
been taken because of her; because of HER stupidity, because of HER arrogance. (Splitting   
up…What the Hell was I thinking?) she asked herself. (I know better than that.)  
  
"Miss Lina."  
  
She turned her head and saw Amelia doing her absolute best to smile for her benefit.   
  
"Mister Gourry will be okay."  
  
Lina tried to smile back. "Yeah, I know," she told the princess quietly. Amelia nodded as   
if to say, "And that's that," and continued walking. "How are you doing?" Lina asked her.  
  
Amelia looked at her; surprised that Lina would ask such a thing. "I'm…I'm fine," she   
told the sorceress. "Why wouldn't I be?"  
  
Lina saw the look on her face, the half second flash of pain, and knew that Amelia had   
found out about Zelgadis and Sylphiel. "I'm sorry, Amelia," she whispered.  
  
The princess turned back to the road and set her jaw. "It's better this way," she told Lina   
quietly. "I'm…I'm fine with it. I really am."  
  
Amelia turned and found that Lina had stopped walking. She was looking at the princess   
sympathetically.  
  
"I…really am," Amelia told her, an unwanted tear forming in her eye. "I am…I really…"  
  
Lina held her arms out. Amelia found herself rushing into them, crying into her role   
model's tunic. The sorceress hugged her and patted her back.  
  
"I'm fine with it! I really am!" Amelia cried. "I really am…"  
  
Lina didn't say anything. She merely held the crying princess as she wept. She knew it   
was all a part of growing up. Amelia would be fine.   
  
Eventually.  
  
  
  
"Poor Miss Lina," Sylphiel commented as she pushed aside a tree branch to follow   
Zelgadis. "She must feel horrible."  
  
"It could have happened to any of us," Zelgadis told her.  
  
"But her feelings for Gourry…" Sylphiel shook her head. "She must feel so guilty."  
  
Zelgadis paused, kneeling over a part of the trail. "They were after me," he whispered.   
"Why would they be after me?"  
  
Sylphiel blinked at him. In their rush to rescue Gourry, that part of Lina's story had gone   
right by without registering.   
  
(They're after Zelgadis dear…)  
  
She felt a ball of ice descend into her stomach. Should he be out here, then? What if they   
had taken Gourry to be used as bait?  
  
The chimera stood up and took a breath. He was going over the descriptions of Lina's   
attackers in his head again. The "Rezo wannabe" didn't ring a bell, and the woman didn't seem to   
raise any red flags either.  
  
"Greysword," Lina had called her.   
  
He must have said this out loud because Sylphiel spoke up a second later. "It's a fitting   
name if what Miss Lina said about her skills is true." She blinked a second later. "You   
know…It's also an anagram of YOUR name."  
  
Zelgadis turned back to her. "What?"  
  
"Well…Yes," she said. "Just move the 'S' to the end, and you have 'Greywords.'"  
  
He blinked in surprise. She was right. He shook his head. "We must be cousins," he   
quipped.  
  
"Ninth letter, fourth removed?" Sylphiel asked with a slight smile.  
  
Zelgadis chuckled and started after the trail again. "Come on. It leads this way."  
  
"Zelgadis dear," Sylphiel called out. He stopped and turned to her. Her earlier smile was   
gone. "Promise me you'll be careful," she begged.  
  
"I'm always careful," he told her.  
  
"Just don't get hurt," she told him. "Or captured!" she added in a second later.  
  
He smiled. "Even if I was, wouldn't you just use violence, money, and sex appeal to   
rescue me?"  
  
She blushed, remembering the words she had spoken to Lina when Phibrizzo had taken   
Gourry. "Yes…of course, I would," she said, staring at the ground, drawing little circles in the   
dirt with her toe.   
  
"Then I have nothing to worry about," Zelgadis said casually, turning back to the trail.   
"C'mon. If Lina beats us to Gourry, we'll never hear the end of it."  
  
Sylphiel nodded with a smile and ran after him.  
  
  
  
"The one with the breasts," Lina elaborated.  
  
The weapons merchant's face lit up with recognition. "Oh, yeah…Her. Nope, she hasn't   
been back for her dagger yet. Why you ask?"  
  
"She owes me money," Lina told him casually.   
  
"SHE'S A FUGITIVE FROM JUSTICE!" Amelia explained, posing. "A HORRIBLE   
WOMAN WHO'S STOLEN A GOOD FRIEND AND VALUED ALLY FROM THE BOSOM OF   
HIS FRIENDS! IN THE NAME OF JUSTICE I DEMAND YOU TELL US EVERYTHING YOU   
KNOW ABOUT THIS SWORD-SWINGING SLUT!!!"  
  
Lina and the shopkeep sweatdropped.  
  
"She's on medication," Lina explained. The merchant ah'd in response and nodded. "So   
what can you tell us?"  
  
"Well, all I know is that her dagger's repaired and it's still here. All she has to do is pick   
it up."  
  
The redhead smiled evilly. "It won't be the only thing she picks up here." She tossed a   
small, red gem up and down in the air.  
  
  
  
Gourry cried out again in pain. Sitting in a simple, wooden chair off to the side, Zero bit   
into a sandwich and chewed.   
  
"You know," Zero told him between bites. "Lord Rezo once told me that there is no such   
thing as an unbreakable man." He gave a nod to Kik, who placed his electrified claw to Gourry's   
chest again. The swordsman felt the shock running up and down his body and did his best to   
scream, but the muscles in his jaw were all contracting at once, freezing him in place.  
  
The Red Priest lookalike took another bite of his sandwich. "But," he went on, "He also   
told me that for all things there is a first." Kik prodded Gourry again, and the swordsman   
convulsed. Zero merely continued to eat. "You are indeed a brave man, Gourry Gabriev." He   
smiled. "I salute you."  
  
Gourry hung there limply, panting for breath.   
  
Zero took one last bite of his sandwich and clapped his hands off. "We can't break him.   
We're wasting our time," he told Kik. "Cut him down."  
  
Kick looked to the priest in shock. Gourry felt hope rush into him.  
  
"Cut him loose," Zero repeated. "We're letting him go. Out of respect for his strength and   
loyalty to his friend." Kik produced a knife.   
  
Gourry felt like laughing. Maybe the gods were finally giving him a break.  
  
Zero nodded. "We'll get what we need from the woman." Gourry tensed. "Give me the   
knife. I'll cut him down. You need to get started on her."  
  
"What…What do you mean?" Gourry asked tiredly.  
  
The priest waved his question aside. "Don't worry yourself, Mister Gabriev. Miss Inverse   
looks rather frail. I'm sure she'll break quickly, and then we'll let her go too."   
  
Gourry growled. "If you've hurt one hair on her head, I'll…"  
  
Zero shrugged. "Haven't had a reason to hurt her yet. Mister Kik dislikes plying his trade   
on women. And since we figured you'd break eventually, there's been no need to start on her. She   
put up a very tough fight. She's not quite conscious yet." He smiled.  
  
The swordsman swallowed nervously.  
  
"Something wrong?" Zero asked in concern. He held the knife casually.  
  
Gourry looked right into his eyes. He could see his reflection there, but he could also see   
Lina, suspended like he was, screaming as Kik electrocuted her over and over again…  
  
He took an unsteady breath and shut his eyes.  
  
  
  
Zero walked quickly into the main cavern and called out to the leader of the berserkers he   
had summoned. "Gather your berserkers and prepare to move out. You're going to Borden.   
Locate the target and wait. Greysword and I will join you shortly."  
  
The berserker captain nodded and turned to assemble his men.  
  
The priest walked to another waterfall and waved his hand before it. A few moments of   
waiting and a man's face appeared in the water. A man with yellow eyes.  
  
"Something new to report?" he asked.  
  
Zero smiled. "Borden."  
  
The yellow-eyed man nodded. "Find him and hold him. I can be there in three days."  
  
"It shall be done," Zero told him with a bow. The man's image faded from the water.  
  
The priest smiled.  
  
  
  
Greysword walked out of the weapons shop with her repaired dagger sitting firmly in its   
sheathe on her hip. She turned and started down the road, unaware of two sets of eyes watching   
her from the air.  
  
Lina looked down at the woman, her levitation spell keeping her several meters above her   
target. She grimaced. "That's right, bitch," she muttered. "Lead me right to him."  
  
"Careful, Miss Lina," Amelia cautioned. "We can't lose sight of her."  
  
The redhead smiled. "Don't worry about that, Amelia. Remember that gem I had the   
shopkeeper fit in her dagger's handle?" At Amelia's nod, she produced a second crystal. "Here's   
its mate." The crystal was red and had four points. "The points light up in the direction of the   
other crystal. She can go to the other side of the world, and I'd still be able to hunt her down."  
  
Amelia lit up. "That's so cool, Miss Lina!"  
  
Lina grinned and nodded. "She's going to lead us right to Gourry, and then I'm going to   
Dragon Slave her ass. Come on."  
  
The two began to float ahead after the swordswoman.  
  
  
  
"Zelgadis dear? Do you hear that?"  
  
Zelgadis listened for a moment before his eyes went wide. He grabbed Sylphiel's arm and   
quickly dragged her behind some palmetto bushes, pushing her to the ground and lying next to her.   
  
"Wha…"  
  
"Shh!" he hissed.   
  
They both watched through a small opening in the bushes as several berserkers marched   
by. He felt Sylphiel tense next to him.  
  
"I don't see Gourry," she whispered.  
  
Zelgadis shook his head. There were too many of the creatures for it to be some kind of   
patrol. It looked like they were ready for a war, though. Most were carrying heavy spears or axes   
along with their swords. There were no humans with them.  
  
They waited as the monsters marched past them and remained still for a few minutes after   
they had gone. Zelgadis stood up and started down the trail again in the direction from which the   
berserkers had come. Sylphiel followed after him.  
  
"Come on," he urged, quickening his pace. "It looks like they might have sent the bulk of   
their people out for some reason. Gourry might be left with only one or two guards."  
  
Sylphiel nodded and ran to catch up.  
  
  
  
The terrain turned rocky before long, and Zelgadis decided to leave the main trail in favor   
of a more oblique approach. Picking their way through the shrubs and rocks, the two soon found   
themselves on a small ridge overlooking the entrance to a cave a hundred meters away.   
  
They laid down on their stomachs near the edge of the ridge and looked down at the trail   
leading to the cave. Zelgadis produced a small telescope and surveyed the area. He handed it to   
Sylphiel a moment later and bid her to look through it, pointing up at the opposite side of the trail.  
  
"There's a guard there," he whispered, pointing. "Another one near the entrance, but that's   
it."  
  
Sylphiel let her gaze fall where Zelgadis instructed her. She could see the berserker guard   
near the path, and the one at the cave's entrance. Her sight fell on something else. A woman was   
walking towards the entrance, a katana riding her hip.  
  
"Greysword," she noted.   
  
Before either of them could react, something hit the ground behind them. Zelgadis turned,   
his hand going for his sword, but Lina's outstretched palm bade him to be quiet. She and Amelia   
hit the ground next to them.  
  
"Glad you made it," Zelgadis remarked as Sylphiel handed her the scope. "One across the   
way, one near the entrance. The woman just went inside."  
  
Lina nodded. "What do you think?"  
  
Zelgadis' gaze was above, looking out past the cave. "I think there's a back door." He   
pointed. Lina looked and found smoke rising from not far away. "That might be the smoke of a   
cook fire coming out of a crevice."  
  
The redhead smiled. "Time for a game of High-Low."  
  
"I'll go high," Zelgadis told her.  
  
"I'll go low," Lina replied. "Amelia, stay here until I wave you down. You're back up."  
  
"Right!" Amelia replied.  
  
"I'll go with Zelgadis dear," Sylphiel piped up. "Gourry might be injured, and if Amelia   
is going in with you…"  
  
Lina nodded. "Okay, let's go." She started around and down towards the path, keeping   
behind the shrubbery and stones of the ridge.   
  
Zelgadis tossed the telescope to Amelia. "See you inside." With that, he and Sylphiel   
started higher up the ridge. Amelia looked down at the path through the scope. She watched the   
guard on the other side of the path. The berserker was sitting near a tree, looking bored.   
Suddenly, a hand clapped over his mouth from behind. Amelia saw a quick flash of a dagger's   
blade, and the berserker was pulled out of sight into the bushes.  
  
  
  
It didn't take long for Zelgadis and Sylphiel to move up the ridge and find the source of the   
smoke. The crevice was just wide enough for a man to squeeze through. Zelgadis pulled out his   
mask and a canteen. He quickly soaked it and tied it around his face, covering his mouth and nose.  
  
Sylphiel dug in her pouch and managed to find a purple scarf. She took the canteen bottle   
and doused her own cloth with it.  
  
"You can stay up here if you want," Zelgadis told her, his words muffled by his mask.  
  
She shook her head and tied her own mask on. Zelgadis only nodded, took a deep breath of   
fresh air, and started down the hole. He braced his right foot against the far wall and pressed his   
back against the other, his left foot braced below him. Slowly, he began to rock-chimney down the   
chute.   
  
He heard Sylphiel cry out above him and suddenly felt her weight strike him! Zelgadis grit   
his teeth and strained to keep from falling down the chute. He heard her cough. His eyes were   
burning from the acrid smoke. He pushed her up and out of the chute, climbing out a moment later.  
  
"Brace yourself against the wall," he coughed out. "You have to rock-chimney down. Try   
not to breathe too deeply."  
  
She continued to cough, but managed to get out an "Okay!" They rested for a moment and   
then tried again. Zelgadis went first in case Sylphiel fell again. She went slower than he did, but   
seemed to be getting the hang of it.  
  
He continued down and tried his best not to breathe.  
  
  
  
Lina put her back against the rocky wall. Just around the corner, three feet from her left,   
the berserker was standing guard. She drew her dagger and began to whistle quietly, like a bird.  
  
She heard movement and tensed. A second later, the berserker turned the corner and saw   
her. He gasped out in surprise as Lina sunk her dagger into him and covered his mouth. She held   
the knife in him and muffled his cries until he stopped moving.  
  
The sorceress edged around the corner and waved in Amelia's direction. She turned and   
started into the cave, not bothering to wait.  
  
(Hang on Gourry.)  
  
  
  
"What's all the fuss?" Greysword asked Zero as she walked up to him.   
  
"Mister Gabriev volunteered to assist us," Zero told her with a smile as he started down   
one of the caverns toward the man in question. "It appears that Greywords is in Borden of all   
places."  
  
Greysword tensed.  
  
"You know it," the priest remarked.  
  
"Yes," she said quietly. "I know it."  
  
"Good. You'll lead the attack. I sent the berserkers on ahead. We'll join them just as   
soon as we attend to our loose ends."  
  
The swordswoman followed him, unaware of the redhead that had just entered the cavern   
and ducked behind a stalagmite.  
  
Lina watched as the two started down another cave, and her eyes narrowed. A few   
seconds later, Amelia came huffing up to her, ducking next to her. "Where's Mister Gourry?" she   
asked. The sorceress nodded in the direction of the cave Zero and Greysword just disappeared   
into. Amelia looked around the cavern and blinked. "Where's the fire?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"The cook fire Mister Zelgadis found. I don't see it. Where are they?"  
  
"Probably in another cavern. Come on." Lina got up and started after the two kidnappers.  
  
  
  
Kik raised the brand from the fire and admired its glow. He turned and started toward   
Gourry, his claws clicking together in anticipation. The swordsman eyed the glowing metal iron   
and grit his teeth. Before the insect could apply it to his flesh, however, Zero and Greysword   
entered the room.  
  
"Ah! Mister Gabriev! I'm glad to see you're still here! I just wanted to thank you for your   
help." The sorcerer priest smiled smugly.  
  
"Where's Lina?" Gourry growled.  
  
Zero shrugged. "Hell if I know," he admitted.  
  
"You son of a bitch," Gourry breathed.  
  
"Not quite," Zero told him. "Kik, kill him. No loose ends."  
  
The bug bowed in acknowledgement and pulled a knife. He started toward the blonde.   
Gourry growled.  
  
"Sorry, blondie," Greysword told him. "That's the way it is sometimes."  
  
Gourry smiled and thought of what Lina might say in his place. She always had something   
appropriate. He found a phrase he could hear her saying and turned to Greysword.  
  
"Yeah, screw you too."  
  
"Tick tock tick tock," Zero prompted Kik.  
  
Suddenly the insectoid's eyes went wide. The knife fell from his hand as purple blood   
dripped from his mandibles. He dropped to the floor, revealing his killer behind him.   
  
"Zelgadis!" Gourry cried.   
  
The chimera stood over the insect's body, his sword coated with purple blood. Sylphiel   
stood just behind him.   
  
"Gourry!"  
  
Zero growled and raised his hand. "FREEZE…"  
  
"ARROW!" he heard behind him. He turned just in time to duck under a Freeze Arrow   
hurled at him from the other end of the cavern.   
  
"Miss Inverse," Zero remarked. "Right on time. Astral Phase!" He disappeared a   
moment later.  
  
"Sylphiel, take care of Gou…" Zelgadis began, but Greysword cut him off. She screamed   
and dashed toward him with her katana. He jumped back as she swung!   
  
"STONE CLEAVE!!" she howled. The wall Zelgadis had been standing in front of   
shattered.   
  
(An enchanted sword,) Zelgadis thought. (Two can play that game…) He held his sword   
up. "ASTRAL VINE!" A crack of lightning touched his sword, and the blade began to glow red.  
  
Just in time too. Greysword leapt at him and swung! Zelgadis turned her blow and lashed   
out with two of his own. The woman dodged them easily.  
  
"Zelgadis dear!" Sylphiel cried.  
  
"Get Gourry out of here!" Zelgadis shouted to her. "Do it!" His attention was pulled back   
to Greysword as she began another attack. (She's so damned fast!) he thought. He didn't even   
have enough time for a spell.  
  
Sylphiel picked up the knife Kik had dropped and set about cutting Gourry down.  
  
  
  
Zero reappeared behind her and lashed out with a fireball! Lina dived to one side and   
pointed up at him. "FLARE ARROW!" The priest phased out before the flame shaft could hit him,   
striking the ceiling behind him instead.  
  
"Amelia! Help Sylphiel and get Gourry out of here!"  
  
"Right!" Amelia rushed further into the cave towards the still suspended swordsman.  
  
Zero appeared thirty feet from her and smiled.   
  
"You did all right last time," she told him, "Ready for a rematch?"  
  
"By all means" the priest smiled.  
  
"FLAAAARE…"  
  
"FREEEZE…"  
  
"ARROW!!" they both cried, launching their attacks at one another.  
  
Amelia, meanwhile, arrived just as Gourry fell to the floor. Sylphiel dropped the knife and   
knelt next to him, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "Miss Amelia! Help me!"  
  
The princess took his other arm, and together, the three started for the cave's exit. Amelia   
reached out and grabbed Gourry's sword, standing against a nearby wall, and brought it along,   
struggling with its weight.  
  
Sylphiel threw concerned looks back at the fight and tried to walk faster.   
  
  
  
Zelgadis' back hit the wall, and he ducked quickly, avoiding a slash from the woman's   
katana. He braced his feet against the wall and launched himself into the woman, knocking her   
down. She was on her feet in a flash, pressing her attack again.   
  
He didn't know what to make of her. He'd never fought anyone as fast or as eager to kill   
him as this woman. The chimera brought his sword up to block another slash, and the two blades   
locked.   
  
"I…won't….let…you….keep him!" Greysword growled at him. She brought her knee up   
into Zelgadis' gut, but did nothing more than bruise her leg. Zelgadis lashed out with the pommel   
of his sword and struck the woman in the face. Greysword hit the ground unconscious.  
  
The chimera didn't waste time. He ran back into the larger cavern where Zero and Lina   
were still fighting it out. Zero saw him approach and turned, readying a spell. Lina didn't give   
him time.  
  
"FLARE LANCE!"   
  
The priest ducked under the attack, which came close enough to him to burn his arm   
slightly. He growled. Zelgadis and Lina had him surrounded.  
  
"Why are you after me?" Zelgadis demanded, getting right to the point.  
  
Zero smiled. "It is not my place to question why. VEEGASGAIA!!!"  
  
The cavern began shaking.   
  
"Dammit! You'll collapse the entire cavern!" Lina shouted.  
  
"Yes, how about that?" Zero asked casually, disappearing.  
  
"Son of a…" the redhead growled. Zelgadis grabbed her arm and started running for the   
exit.  
  
"No time for that!" he yelled. "Run!"   
  
Stalactites and boulders fell from the ceiling, threatening to block their escape. Lina   
tripped and fell, but Zelgadis pulled her to her feet, nearly tearing her arm from its socket in his   
rush to escape. They managed to make it out just as the ceiling collapsed, filling the cave with   
debris.   
  
Lina and Zelgadis, covered with dust, looked back in amazement.   
  
"Zelgadis dear! Miss Lina!"  
  
They turned and found Sylphiel and Amelia not far away. Gourry was sitting on the   
ground. Amelia was chanting a healing spell for him.  
  
"Zelgadis," Lina began quietly. "Who are these guys?"  
  
He shook his head. "I don't know. But I do know one thing. They're very good at what   
they do."  
  
She nodded. "Zel, you have got to be VERY careful…"  
  
He didn't bother to answer that. "Let's get out of here before they have a chance to   
regroup."   
  
  
  
Greysword's head appeared suddenly out of the pile of dirt and debris, her hands clawing   
to get out as she gasped for breath. She slowly pulled herself out of the earthy tomb and rolled   
over onto her back, panting for breath.  
  
"Well it's about time you showed up again," Zero remarked, appearing next to her. He   
knelt down next to the swordswoman and smiled.  
  
"What happened?" she croaked out.  
  
"We almost had him, and then the damn Mazoku brought the entire cavern down on top of   
us."  
  
"I see," Greysword growled. "How did they find us so fast is what I want to know. One   
of the berserkers must have…"  
  
"My dear Miss Greysword," he interrupted, "What IS that lovely gem on the hilt of your   
dagger?" he asked, pointing to the knife on her belt.  
  
She looked down at the red gem and grimaced. "Son of a bitch," she swore.  
  
"Yes, quite," Zero remarked, taking the dagger from its sheathe. He examined the gem for   
a moment, smiled, and smashed it on a rock. The jewel cracked open.  
  
"So now what?" she asked. "Go after them?"  
  
"And what?" he asked her derisively. "It was hard enough when we just had to deal with   
Inverse and Mister Gabriev. We will find it quite a bit more difficult, I think, to fight them, the   
target, and two other sorceresses at the same time, no?"  
  
She turned away in disgust. "Do you have a better idea?"  
  
"My dear, do I not ALWAYS have a better idea?" He smiled.  
  
Greysword gingerly touched her jaw where Zelgadis had punched her and winced.  
  
"Your brother packs quite the punch doesn't he?" Zero asked with a smile. His smile   
dropped as the tip of Greysword's katana suddenly found itself grazing his throat.   
  
The swordswoman was glaring up at him hatefully. "That…MONSTER…is NOT…my   
brother," she hissed.  
  
Zero bowed his head slightly. "My apologies. I meant no offense, my dear."  
  
She hesitated a second and pulled the blade away. "Enough bullshit," she muttered. "Tell   
me about this plan of yours."  
  
"First we'll have to report to Lord Scarrin."  
  
"He's going to be royally pissed, you know," she warned him.   
  
"Yes," Zero muttered. "But given the nature of the mission, drawbacks were to be   
expected. Next time…it'll be different."  
  
Greysword stood up. "Let's get moving."  
  
  
  
Lina stared down at the water, unsure of a lot of things, but at the moment, mostly just of   
herself. Gourry was safe, but injured and exhausted, and she was still feeling the guilt of it all.   
But there was more than that.   
  
Fear.  
  
She was afraid. For the second time someone had taken Gourry; had nearly killed him, and   
she was feeling so…edgy, so shaky. What really made her wonder was the fact that if it had been   
any of the others, she wouldn't have felt this way. If Zelgadis or Amelia or Sylphiel had been   
taken, she would've been angry, yes. Frightened for them, certainly…  
  
But not terrified of it happening again.  
  
She sighed and rested her back against a boulder, letting the river's current wash over her.   
Someone entered the river nearby, out of her sight.   
  
"Miss Lina?"  
  
"Over here, Sylphiel," Lina called back, not bothering to turn towards the priestess. She   
heard the gentle splashing as Sylphiel made her way towards the sorceress.  
  
"Do you mind if I join you?" she asked politely. "After climbing down that chimney, I   
smell like smoke. I thought a bath would be nice."  
  
"Sure," Lina said quietly. The shrine maiden sat back against the same boulder on Lina's   
left and began washing her arms with a washrag.  
  
Sylphiel noticed how quiet the sorceress was and paused. "Miss Lina? Is something the   
matter?"  
  
The redhead said nothing for a minute, then, "I'm in trouble, Sylphiel."  
  
She could almost see the shrine maiden blinking in puzzlement. "What kind of trouble?"  
  
For some reason she couldn't explain, Lina always felt comfortable with Sylphiel. They   
almost seemed to work in synch sometimes, even without meaning to. Out of all her friends,   
Sylphiel had been the only one to figure out that Lina had intended to fight Phibrizzo alone and   
went after her. Sylphiel was almost like an older sister…just not as abusive or psychotic   
as…oh…say….Luna….  
  
She took a breath and came out with it. "I think it's time Gourry and I went our separate   
ways."  
  
"Miss Lina?!"  
  
"I…can't keep putting him in danger like this," she went on quietly. "It was different   
when I was just Lina Inverse, Bandit Killer, but now I have high level Mazoku coming after me,   
sorcerers, mercenaries, monsters…Last time he was kidnapped and almost died, this time he was   
tortured, what about the next time?"  
  
"You love Gourry," Sylphiel told her.  
  
"What?! That yogurt-for-brains?!" Lina cried indignantly. "He's…He's…"  
  
"In love with you too," the shrine maiden finished for her.   
  
Lina went silent. "No he's not," she finally got out.  
  
"After everything that's happened," Sylphiel went on, "How can you deny it?" Lina said   
nothing. "Even…Even I couldn't deny it for very long." The sorceress blinked. "Miss Lina, why   
do you think Gourry stays? If you're right, and he is in such danger simply from being near you,   
why doesn't he just go?"  
  
"Because he's got yogurt in that soft skull of his!" Lina cried defensively. "And…" She   
broke off and remained silent. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to find Sylphiel   
smiling at her.   
  
"Gourry is a very special man, Miss Lina," she told the sorceress. "I knew that since the   
day we met." She turned away for a moment. "Did you know, Miss Lina, that I once saw you as a   
rival? That I learned the Dragon Slave to impress Gourry?"  
  
"I had a hunch," Lina muttered.  
  
"If you do feel something for him, Miss Lina, then you mustn't let him go."  
  
Lina sighed. "What's so great about him anyway?" she grumbled.  
  
"The fact that he'll always be there no matter what, and that he'll never judge you." The   
sorceress said nothing, just looked down at the water. Lina looked over at her and blinked.   
Sylphiel seemed hesitant to speak any further. As if there were a great weight on her soul.   
Finally, she spoke again. "Miss Lina…the left side of my face is scarred beyond recognition."  
  
Lina looked at her and blinked in puzzlement. "Huh?"  
  
Sylphiel nodded. "When I was thirteen, I was trapped in a burning building. A burning   
wood beam fell and hit me. When I woke up…I found that I was disfigured. You can't see it now   
because of a glamour, but…" She broke off and paused. "It was Gourry that saved me, pulled me   
from the fire. He came to see me a few days afterward. I was still…shattered…and feeling very   
sorry for myself. But he only smiled…called me pretty…and made me feel like…like I was   
special. That's one of his best traits, Miss Lina. He sees the good in everything."  
  
"Sylphiel…" Lina only breathed.  
  
"Miss Lina, you can send Gourry away now and be comforted by the fact that he won't   
share the dangers of your life…Or you can bring him closer and be comforted by the fact that he   
WILL share the joys." Lina said nothing. "After everything you've been through, it seems like a   
waste to send him away now, ne?" The priestess asked with a smile.  
  
The sorceress sighed and looked up at the sky. "I have a lot to think about, I guess.   
Thanks, Sylphiel."  
  
"It was my pleasure, Miss Lina."  
  
"Sylphiel…does…Zelgadis know…?"  
  
The shrine maiden smiled. "A lot happened on Zarak Tor, Miss Lina." And that was all   
she would say on the matter.   
  
Lina rose from the water and started for shore. She did have a lot to think about.  
  
  
  
Gourry looked up at the stars as he rested. Amelia had warned him that he should rest and   
try not to exert himself for awhile, and he was all up for that…At least until he got an opportunity   
for a rematch with Greysword and Zero…  
  
But that was later. This was now. And right now, the stars were very pretty. He sighed   
and smiled up at them. The stars were always there. When he was younger and wandering the   
world alone, he had been comforted by that fact. The stars would always be there every single   
night no matter what happened, or how badly he might screw up.   
  
"Gourry?"  
  
He turned his head and saw Lina walking up to him. She knelt down next to him, sitting on   
her knees. "Oi, Lina," he said with a smile. "Is everything okay?" he asked, noticing her frown.  
  
"I…just wanted to tell you that…I'm sorry…"  
  
Gourry blinked in shock. Lina Inverse…APOLOGIZING FOR SOMETHING?! He   
looked up at the stars for reassurance that the world was still the same.   
  
"We shouldn't have split up," she went on. "It was…a stupid thing for me to do."  
  
"How do you figure?" he asked.  
  
Lina hit the dirt. A second later, she was back in a vertical position, dead leaves in her   
hair. "BECAUSE, YOU YOGURT-FOR-BRAINS, LOOK WHAT HAPPENED!!!"  
  
"Yeah….So?" he asked blinking.  
  
"You…you got tortured!" Lina went on. Gourry couldn't see it, but she was close to tears.   
  
He smiled. "Yeah, but if we HADN'T split up, who's to say they wouldn't have gotten   
BOTH of us? Because we DID split up, you managed to get away and get help!"  
  
"Gourry! Are you some kind of idiot!?" Lina cried. "It was my fault! I got you captured   
with my stupid, lame plan! I…"  
  
"Wasn't there," Gourry finished for her seriously. "And I'm GLAD you weren't." He   
didn't smile. "And if you had been there, it would've been MY fault for not being able to protect   
you."  
  
She shook her head. "You really are stupid," she muttered. "Yogurt-for-brains…"  
  
He smiled and pointed at his head. "Wanna taste?"  
  
She laughed. "No!" Lina looked down at him seriously. "Gourry…you told me once that   
you'd stay my guardian forever."  
  
"That's right," he said proudly.  
  
"What if I didn't want that, anymore?" she asked.  
  
He blinked in shock. "What do you mean?"  
  
She bit her lip and leaned down over him, pressing her lips against his. Gourry blinked in   
utter astonishment as Lina Inverse, the little girl he met almost four years ago, kissed him. Locks   
of her red hair fell on him, and he inhaled, savoring a faint scent of cinnamon. After several   
moments, she released him and smiled, blinking tears out of her eyes.  
  
"I mean," she said quietly, "I don't want you to stay with me just because you're my   
guardian."  
  
"Lina," he whispered.  
  
She swallowed nervously and took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Rest now,   
okay?" she told him. He nodded, still unsure as to what just happened. Lina stood up and walked   
out of sight.  
  
Gourry looked up at the stars and sighed again. This time his thoughts on a DIFFERENT   
ball of fire…  
  
  
To Be Continued…  



	9. Passion! Shadow Lina's Little Mix-Up...

Slayers belongs to Kadokawa Shoten.  
  
SHADOW LINA: I have a secret!  
  
NAGA: Nani? What do you mean?  
  
SHADOW LINA: Well, as long as we're stuck in Atlas City for a few days, I thought I'd find   
out how Lord Jeffrey feels about me! So I snuck a passion pill into his tea! I didn't think it   
would hurt any! Please don't be mad!  
  
NAGA: *Blink.* Does Jeffrey even drink tea?  
  
SHADOW LINA: Um….  
  
FILIA: *Grimace* Ugh! This tea tastes like crap! What do they put in this stuff!?  
  
SHADOW LINA: *Whimper.*  
  
  
Faces: After!  
Part 9  
Passion!  
Shadow Lina's Little Mix-Up…  
  
  
  
"Unhand me this instant!" Naga the White Serpent cried as two Atlas City guards   
dragged her down the hall and deposited her in a jail cell. She immediately jumped up and   
grabbed hold of two of the bars. "THIS IS A BLATANT MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE!!!"  
  
Standing not far away, Shadow Lina sighed. "Please, Miss Naga! It'll be okay! It's only   
for three days! Then they'll let you out!"  
  
Naga sniffed. "'Drunk and Disorderly,'" she huffed. "I may have been a little   
tipsy…BUT I WAS CERTAINLY NOT DISORDERLY!!!!"  
  
Filia sighed and shook her head. Jeffrey merely cleared his throat nervously. Xellos,   
however was smiling, obviously amused "So, Miss Naga," he began, "Will you be using your   
magic to escape any time soon?"  
  
Naga tensed and turned red. "Er..Not for a few days, at least…" she confessed   
hesitantly.  
  
Shadow Lina and Filia nodded and went, "Oooh…"  
  
Jeffrey blinked. "Huh? What do you mean?"  
  
The shadow coughed nervously and blushed. "Lord Jeffrey…because Miss Naga is a   
woman….there are…um…occasions when…she…er…can't use her magic…"  
  
"Why not?" the would-be-knight asked.  
  
Shadow Lina turned an even deeper shade of red. "Well….you see…"  
  
"Oh jeez," Naga said, rubbing her temples. "Jeffrey, I'm on the rag."  
  
Jeffrey's eyes went wide. He knew that phrase from somewhere…yes…his   
childhood…Once a month mother would…change…then Father would start to scream and…  
  
That's when he passed out.  
  
"LORD JEFFREY!" The shadow knelt over him and began to fan his face with her hand.   
The knight moaned in his sleep. "Poor Lord Jeffrey…"  
  
"Well, three days in Atlas City," Xellos announced. "There are worse places to be   
trapped in."  
  
"It could be worse, I guess," Filia agreed reluctantly.  
  
"When I get my powers back," Naga was growling, "I'm going to make…the BIGGEST   
frigg'n golem….anyone has ever seen….and it's going to EAT this damn city…"  
  
  
  
(Three days…) Shadow Lina thought as she walked down the busy Atlas City street.   
Usually they were so busy. They were constantly on the move. She wasn't sure they had stayed   
in any one place for three whole days since they first formed their fellowship.  
  
Poor Lord Jeffrey was back in his room, still unconscious, and Filia had suggested that   
they do some shopping together to pass the time. She looked to her right and found that the   
golden dragon had stopped near a shop stand, looking over some china.   
  
Walking around gave the young shadow plenty of time to think, and as such her thoughts   
ended up drifting back to the object of her heart's desire, her knight in shining armor, her brave   
hero…Lord Jeffrey.  
  
He seemed to like her. They were friends, but she wasn't sure. She wished that the   
original Lina had been incredibly shy, then her shadow might have been more forward and less   
likely to wilt in embarrassment by the thought of asking Lord Jeffrey how he felt.  
  
If only there was a way to know for sure….  
  
"You! Young lady!"  
  
She turned. "Huh? Me?"  
  
A large, dark-skinned woman wearing outlandish, decorative robes and a large, colorful   
hat was waving to her from a nearby booth. "Yes, you, little girl! Come here!" She spoke in a   
strange accent Shadow Lina didn't recognize. The shadow shrugged and walked up to her.  
  
"Is there something I can do for you, Ma'am?" Shadow Lina asked politely.  
  
"No, little girl, but there is something Miss Clio can do for you!" the woman, Miss Clio,   
told her with a wide smile. "Sit yourself down there, and let Miss Clio tell your fortune! We   
find what's troubling such a pretty girl!"  
  
"Um…Okay…" Shadow Lina sat down on the other side of the booth while Miss Clio   
got out a pack of tarot cards. She quickly put several of them face down on the booth in front of   
her.   
  
"You're a sorceress!" Miss Clio told her.  
  
"Wow!" Shadow Lina said, impressed despite the fact that her outfit would have told   
ANYONE that.  
  
Miss Clio turned over two more cards. "You're upset about something, isn't that right,   
little girl?"  
  
Shadow Lina nodded sadly.  
  
"You're upset about a dead relative…" Shadow Lina shook her head. "Money   
troubles…" Another shake. "You're worried about a man."  
  
The redhead gasped in shock.   
  
"AH HA!!" the fortune teller exclaimed, sounding like a donkey's bray. "You are   
wondering why this man treats you so badly?" Miss Clio asked her.  
  
"Um…No…"  
  
"Then he cheats on you…"  
  
"Actually, I don't think…"  
  
"His is a doofus and doesn't realize how you feel."  
  
"YES, THAT'S IT EXACTLY! WOW, MISS CLIO, YOU'RE AMAZING!!"  
  
The fortune teller smiled. "I tell you how you find out, little girl." She held up a single,   
pink pill.  
  
"Sodium pentathol?" Shadow Lina asked.   
  
Miss Clio sweatdropped. "No, little girl! This here be a passion pill!"  
  
The shadow shook her head. "No, I don't want to make Lord Jeffrey love me. That   
would be selfish and wrong."  
  
"It's not a love pill, you stupid little girl!" Miss Clio told her. "It's a PASSION pill!   
You give this to your Lord Jeffrey, and it will magnify his passion for the one he loves! If he   
loves you, he'll have no choice but to show it!"  
  
"Wait! How did you know his name?!" Shadow Lina asked.  
  
Miss Clio laughed. "It's all in the tarot cards, little girl! So…would you like this pill?"  
  
Shadow Lina smiled and nodded happily.  
  
"Ten goldpieces."  
  
The sorceress quickly paid Miss Clio, took the pill, and bounded happily down the street.  
  
  
  
Filia looked up as Jeffrey woozily descended the stairs and started towards their table.   
"How are you feeling, Mister Jeffrey?" the dragon asked him sympathetically. He was a nice   
boy. It wasn't his fault he had gotten mixed up with Naga and Xellos.  
  
"Much better, thank you, Miss Filia," the youth replied, sinking into a chair between the   
two women.   
  
Shadow Lina watched him out of the corner of her eye and fingered the tiny pill. Now all   
she needed was a way to deliver it.   
  
"I was just about to order some tea," Filia told him gently. "You look like you could use   
a cup too…"  
  
"I'll go get it!" Shadow Lina cried, standing up. "I'll be right back!" With that, the   
petite sorceress took off to the kitchen. As she placed the order for the tea, she thought about   
what she was about to do. Was this wrong? It was kind of like playing Cepheid. On the other   
hand, Miss Clio had told her that the pill would just magnify the feelings that were already   
there…  
  
The tea tray came, and the time for doubts was over. She bit her lip, held the pill over   
Jeffrey's tea cup…  
  
And dropped it.  
  
*PLOP!*  
  
The shadow took a breath, picked up the tray, and started back to her table.   
  
"Back!" she announced cheerily. She handed Filia and Jeffrey their tea cups, keeping   
one for herself. She watched Jeffrey apprehensively. What would he do once the pill took   
effect? Would he ask to talk to her and confess his love to her? Or would he jump on the table   
and pronounce it to the world!? Maybe he'd…  
  
"Eww!" Filia announced, staring down at her tea. "They put milk in it. I HATE that…"  
  
"Oh, here, Miss Filia," Jeffrey said, handing the dragon his own cup. "They made mine   
without. We can trade."  
  
Shadow Lina gasped.  
  
Filia smiled and took the cup from him. "Thank you, Mister Jeffrey." She took a long   
sip of Jeffrey's tea. Shadow Lina almost had a stroke on the spot. She began biting her nails   
fearfully.  
  
The dragon put the empty cup down and sighed. "I love good tea." She looked up at the   
redhead and blinked. "Miss Lina? Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm…fine…Miss…Dragon…Lady…." Shadow Lina muttered out between bites.  
  
"Oh. Okay." She turned to Jeffrey and smiled. "Thank you, Mister Jeffrey. I'm glad to   
see that chivalry still exists somewhere in the world."  
  
Jeffrey returned her smile. "Oh, don't mention it, Miss Filia. I was happy to…"  
  
"NO!!" Shadow Lina cried, launching herself at Jeffrey! She grabbed him possessively   
and turned to Filia fearfully. "STAY AWAY FROM HIM! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT   
YOU'RE DOING!!!"  
  
Silence.  
  
Filia and Jeffrey sweatdropped.  
  
"Um…What are you talking about?" Filia asked in confusion.  
  
"Miss Dragon Lady! Please!" Shadow Lina weeped. "You're feelings of love and   
affection for Lord Jeffrey are artificial! Brought on by the passion pill in your tea! IT'S NOT   
REAL!!!"  
  
Silence…again.  
  
"Riiiiiiiiggggghhhhhtttt…." Filia told her with a slow nod. She blinked. "Wait a   
second?! Pill?! What pill?! Tea?! MY TEA?!"  
  
"I'm sorry," Shadow Lina whimpered.  
  
"WHAT DID YOU PUT IN MY TEA, MISS LINA?!" Filia shouted at her.  
  
The shadow sniffled pathetically. "I met this strange lady in the street, and she gave me a   
passion pill to use on Lord Jeffrey…" She sniffed again. "And I put it in his tea, but then you   
took it and swallowed it on accident…"  
  
Filia's eyes were the size of dinner plates. She screamed and covered her eyes!   
"AIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DON'T LET ME LOOK AT JEFFREY!!   
PLEASE, FIRE DRAGON KING! JUST GRANT THIS ONE PRAYER!!!"  
  
"Um…Miss Filia…It's not a love potion…"  
  
Filia looked at her. "Then…what's it supposed to do?"  
  
"Well, Miss Clio said that it would magnify the passion of whoever swallowed it,"   
Shadow Lina confessed.  
  
"So…I won't fall in love with someone just because I see them?" Filia asked fearfully.   
Shadow Lina shook her head. "Oh, thank Cepheid!" the dragon gasped.   
  
"So…What DOES it do?" Jeffrey asked puzzled.   
  
Shadow Lina whimpered. "It's supposed to make people confess their love."  
  
"Then I'm home free!" Filia cried happily. "Since I'm not passionate about anyone, the   
pill will have no effect on…"  
  
"Hello!"  
  
Filia's eyes went wide as she heard the voice behind her. Her eyebrow began to twitch   
spasmodically. Shadow Lina and Jeffrey blinked at the sight.  
  
Xellos, his face in a guidebook, suddenly looked up. "Well, Little Dragon! I thought that   
since we have a few days to ourselves we could see some of the sights and get to know one   
another better! Atlas City has this wonderful museum of art that I…  
  
The dragon slowly turned to him. Xellos looked at her and blinked. "Er…Little Dragon?   
Are you feeling okay?"  
  
"YOU SHALL BE MIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNEEEEE!!!!" Filia screamed as she threw   
herself at Xellos!   
  
The Mazoku was caught completely off guard and fell to the ground, the dragon landing   
squarely on top of him. "Filia chan?!" was all he could get out before she clamped her lips over   
his and began to kiss him.   
  
"EEP! Miss Dragon Lady!" Shadow Lina squeaked.  
  
"Wow…" Jeffrey noted.  
  
Xellos tried to break away for a second for air by taking Filia's wrists in his hands, but   
the dragon instead grabbed HIS wrists and pinned them to the floor above his head.   
  
"Oh no! I have to do something!" Shadow Lina whimpered. She pointed her hands at   
the two. "AQUA CREATE!"  
  
A ball of water appeared above the dragon and the Mazoku and fell on top of them. Filia   
cried out in surprise, and Xellos vanished, reappearing next to Shadow Lina.   
  
"Hmmm," he intoned. "Is it just me, or is my Little Dragon feeling surprisingly   
affectionate today?"  
  
Filia stood up and faced him, panting for breath. Her hair was wet and dripped onto the   
floor. Her soaked robes clung to her body, showing off every curve the blonde had. She smiled   
at him. "Xellos," she said in her most sultry voice. "Don't run away from your Little Dragon.   
She just wants to play."  
  
Xellos blinked.   
  
"It's my fault, Mister Xellos," Shadow Lina sniffed. "I accidentally gave her a passion   
pill."  
  
The Mazoku looked down at the redhead and smiled. "My dear shadow, you're getting a   
raise!" He turned back to Filia. "Filia chan," he said with a sly grin. "Why don't you and I go   
up to your room and discuss…current Mazoku/Ryuuzoku relations?"  
  
Filia licked her lips and started for the priest, but Shadow Lina jumped in the way,   
glaring up at Xellos. "Mister Xellos! You can't! Miss Dragon Lady is under the influence of a   
controlled substance! You CAN'T take advantage of her like this!"  
  
Xellos smiled at her. "My dear Shadow….of course I can! Now, if you'll step aside…"  
  
"No! Imagine how Miss Filia would feel!!"  
  
"During or afterward?" he asked her.  
  
Shadow Lina balked.  
  
"Why don't we ask what my Little Dragon wants?" Xellos suggested. "Little Dragon,   
would you like to take me up to your room and…"  
  
"YES!" Filia cried, lunging at the Mazoku again. Shadow Lina squeaked and grabbed   
Filia.   
  
"No! Miss Dragon Lady!"  
  
"Mister Xellos!" Jeffrey cried, getting into the argument. "You'd take advantage of your   
own fiancé?!"  
  
"It's not taking advantage if she begs, Jeffrey," Xellos told him with a smile. He started   
for Filia again.  
  
"WAIT!!!" Shadow Lina cried. "Before you go….Tell me what you think of Lord   
Jeffrey!"   
  
Xellos blinked. "Well, personally, I find him to be a rather naïve, weak young man   
who…"  
  
A shadow fell over the priest.   
  
"Oh damn," Xellos muttered.  
  
"YOU DARE CRITICIZE MY JEFFREY!!!???"   
  
Shadow Lina pulled Filia back as Josephine crashed down on top of Xellos, her weight   
forcing the two of them to crash down into the basement! "Quick, Miss Dragon Lady!" the   
shadow cried. "Run!" She dragged Filia outside into the street.  
  
Filia blinked and shook her head. "What?! I…I….EWWWWWWWWWWW!!!" she   
screamed. "WHAT WAS I DOING?!!"  
  
Jeffrey hmm'd in thought. "It looks like the pill only works when the guy she's after is   
around."  
  
"I AM NOT AFTER XELLOS!!!" Filia screamed at him. "It's that damned pill!   
Please! You have to hide me! Don't let him near me!!!!!"  
  
"Okay, Miss Dragon Lady!" Shadow Lina reassured her. "Come on! We'll hide you   
somewhere!" She took Filia's hand and started running down the street, Jeffrey just behind   
them.  
  
  
  
Xellos reappeared next to the hole in the inn's floor and sighed. "Yareyare…Even when   
she's not playing hard to get she makes it difficult." He scratched his head and sniffed the air.   
"Mmm…Little Dragon, I can actually smell your pheremones! How delightful!" He took a deep   
breath, savoring the scent.  
  
He blinked. Was this really the way he wanted to mate with Filia? The rational side of   
his mind said no, but the emotional side that was under the extreme, compulsive urge to mate   
with the dragon brought on by Peak said otherwise. "Hmmm….I wonder… Perhaps Jeffrey is   
right…Should I or shouldn't I?"  
  
A tiny Phibrizzo appeared on his shoulder. "Go ahead," it said. "You know you want   
to…"  
  
A tiny Gaav appeared on the other shoulder. He shrugged. "Sure, why the Hell not?"  
  
Xellos smiled. "It's so liberating not being burdened by a conscience!" He raised his   
staff into the air. "The chase…begins!"   
  
With that, he disappeared.  
  
  
  
Filia ran behind Shadow Lina, still stunned by her earlier behavior. She had practically   
thrown herself at him! How could she?! Had she no shame at all?!   
  
She didn't know how to describe it, but just at the sound of his voice, she had felt her   
blood boil and electricity run up her spine. Even the tip of her tail was tingling.   
  
But why? There was no way she could be attracted to Xellos! There WAS. NO. WAY!!!  
  
"This way!" Shadow Lina cried, turning a corner and running into a temple. She   
practically dragged Filia to a nearby priest. "Father!" she cried. "Quick! We need the help of a   
healer priest!"  
  
"Is there some kind of emergency?" the priest asked calmly.  
  
"IT'S LOVE! OF COURSE IT'S AN EMERGENCY!!"  
  
"All right, all right, child. This way." The priest turned and led them into the back of the   
temple.   
  
The priest introduced them to healer-priestess named Marsa who asked them what the   
problem was. Shadow Lina weepily described the entire situation, begging Marsa to cure Miss   
Dragon Lady. Marsa had Filia hop up onto an examining table and began looking her over. She   
held a white crystal against the dragon's chest, checking her vital signs.  
  
"You say it was a passion pill?" Marsa asked. "How big?"  
  
"Itsy bitsy," Shadow Lina replied, holding her thumb and forefinger apart to show the   
priestess how big.   
  
"It's obviously something else," Filia sniffed. "A passion pill would heighten feelings   
that already exist. This thing is making me…throw myself   
at…an…icky…disgusting…horrible…NAMAGOMI!!!"  
  
"How long will the pill last?" Shadow Lina asked.  
  
"Hard to say. A few hours to a few days…"  
  
"Can you cure it?" the sorceress asked her.  
  
"No," Marsa replied. "The only thing you can do is keep your friend clear of whoever   
causes the pill to kick in."  
  
"That's going to be hard," Shadow Lina confessed. "He's…kind of looking for us right   
now…"  
  
"I still can't believe it would imply that I feel anything at all for that Mazoku!" Filia   
huffed, her hands over her chest.  
  
"Why don't we give your friend a minute alone to dress," Marsa suggested, leading   
Shadow Lina outside to where Jeffrey was waiting.  
  
"Is there ANYTHING else we can do?" the sorceress asked.  
  
"Keep your friend away from him. That's all. The pill should wear off within a day,   
maybe two."  
  
Shadow Lina sighed. "Thank you, Miss Priestess Lady."  
  
  
  
Filia was putting her gloves on when she heard it.  
  
"Yareyare," the voice said. "This patient is going to need my close personal attention…"   
  
She felt her blood begin to heat up as her pulse quickened. Her eyes went wide. From   
her right, Xellos pulled back a privacy curtain and stood there with a clipboard in his hand. He   
was wearing a white lab coat and spectacles. A stethoscope hung around his neck. He smiled   
and approached her.  
  
"Now, then," he said in a soothing voice. "Tell Doctor Xellos where it hurts…"  
  
Filia shut her eyes and leaned back as he placed the stethoscope on her chest. "Yes,   
Doctor…" she sighed.  
  
  
  
"So that's what you have to do, Lord Jeffrey," she told him. "Understand?"  
  
Jeffrey nodded, not quite sure of how this new plan was supposed to help Miss Filia, but   
willing to give it a try. Miss Lina was pretty smart, after all.  
  
Shadow Lina wrung her hands in front of her and tapped her foot on the floor. "Miss   
Dragon Lady should've been out by now," she remarked.   
  
"Maybe she just wants to be alone for a moment," Jeffrey suggested.  
  
Shadow Lina looked at the door, then walked over to it. She knocked gently. "Miss   
Dragon Lady? Is everything okay in there?"  
  
No answer.  
  
"Miss Dragon Lady?"  
  
She thought she heard something from inside, a squeak and a murmur. Shadow Lina's   
eyes went wide, and she gasped. "LORD JEFFREY! MISS DRAGON LADY'S IN   
TROUBLE!!"  
  
"Stand aside!" Jeffrey cried, drawing his sword. He screamed and launched himself at   
the door, shoulder first!  
  
And bounced off of it.  
  
Shadow Lina pointed her hands at the door and shut her eyes. "FLARE ARROW!!!"  
  
The door exploded inward. Shadow Lina rushed inside and gasped. Filia and Xellos   
were on the exam table, kissing passionately. She held her hands up at them.  
  
"AQUA CREATE!!!"  
  
Filia cried out as the water hit her. Xellos disappeared again and reappeared next to   
Shadow Lina, perfectly dry. "Why do you keep doing that?" he asked. "We're not on fire, you   
know…"  
  
"Speak for yourself," Filia purred at him.   
  
Shadow Lina turned to Jeffrey, who was just now entering the room. "Lord Jeffrey!   
Quick! The Plan!"  
  
"Plan?" Xellos asked, scratching his head.  
  
"Huh?" Jeffrey asked. "Oh! Right!" He pointed at Xellos. "Hey you! You shouldn't   
call me a homosexual!"  
  
"Excuse me?" the trickster priest asked.  
  
"WHAT?!" they heard from behind another privacy curtain. "YOU DARE IMPLY   
THAT MY WONDERFUL JEFFREY IS A HOMOSEXUAL!!!???"  
  
"Yareyare…" Xellos sighed.  
  
"Run!" Shadow Lina yelled, grabbing Filia's hand.  
  
Josephine shot out from behind the curtain and smashed into Xellos, crashing through the   
wall behind them!   
  
Shadow Lina, Jeffrey, and Filia panted as they ran out of the temple and down the street.   
  
"I CAN'T BELIEVE I ALMOST LET HIM DO IT AGAIN!!!" Filia cried in distress.   
  
"It's not your fault, Miss Dragon Lady," Shadow Lina assured her. "It's that pill. All   
we have to do is keep the two of you apart for about a day…maybe even less!"  
  
"And how do we do that?!" Filia cried. "He's a Mazoku! He can follow us anywhere!"  
  
"Maybe Miss Naga will know what to do…" Shadow Lina muttered.  
  
  
  
Naga sat in her jail cell and listened as the three of them relayed their story, taking turns   
whenever the current story-teller ran out of breath. At the end of it, Naga laughed.  
  
"It's not funny!" Filia cried in indignation.  
  
"Sure it is!" Naga told her with a dismissive wave. "You know, I don't see what the big   
deal is. Why don't you just let him tag you and be done with it?"  
  
Filia turned red. "I will most certainly NOT let him 'tag' me!"  
  
"Well why not?!" Naga replied exasperated. "You obviously want him! Otherwise that   
little passion pill wouldn't be changing you into a ten-goldpiece whore every time he shows up."   
She grinned.  
  
The dragon grit her teeth and growled.  
  
"Otherwise you have to hide," the White Serpent said with a shrug.  
  
"Thanks, Miss Naga," Shadow Lina said dejectedly.   
  
  
  
"I'm officially dead," Filia whimpered as they descended the steps of the local jail into   
the street. "I can't hide from him forever."  
  
"I'm sorry, Miss Dragon Lady," Shadow Lina whimpered. "This is all my fault." She   
turned to the dragon. "I swear I won't let him touch you until you're all cured! I promise!"  
  
"Yeah!" Jeffrey piped up. "He shouldn't be trying to take advantage of you! I'll keep   
him at bay with my mighty Razor Blade!"  
  
Filia began to cry. "I'm doomed!"  
  
"Awww! Filia chan! Don't cry!" she heard behind her. Her body went rigid. Her   
breath began to quicken into a pant.   
  
"Run, Miss Dragon Lady!" Shadow Lina cried, giving Filia a push!  
  
"She doesn't want to run from ME, do you, Little Dragon?" Xellos asked with a smile.   
  
Filia tried. She really did. She squeezed her eyes shut and covered her ears with her   
hands.   
  
"I brought you flowers!" Xellos announced, pulling a bouquet of violets out from behind   
his back.  
  
Filia whimpered.  
  
Jeffrey went into action. He leapt between them and raised Razor Blade. "Miss Lina!   
Get Miss Filia out of here! I'LL handle Xellos!"  
  
"Lord Jeffrey!" Shadow Lina gasped out.  
  
"Miss Lina! Go! Now!" He turned back to Xellos, who was standing there   
nonchalantly. "All right, Mister Xellos! You may be Miss Naga's second in command! But I   
can't let you defile Miss Filia while she's like this!"  
  
Shadow Lina, meanwhile, was practically dragging Filia away. The golden dragon   
seemed reluctant to leave and was actually trying to pull away and run to her Xellos.  
  
"I'll fight you here and now, Mister Xellos!" Jeffrey continued. Xellos started walking   
toward him. "No matter what the price, I shall defend Miss Filia's honor to the very end! I   
shall…"  
  
Xellos grabbed the young man's blade and ran it through his own chest. Jeffrey stared   
down at the sword, buried firmly below the Mazoku's ribcage, and blinked.  
  
"Oh dear! You seem to have won!" Xellos told him casually, patting him on the   
shoulder in congratulations. "Duel's over!" He vanished.  
  
"Huh?!" Jeffrey turned back just in time to see Xellos reappear next to Filia and Shadow   
Lina. "MISS LINA! LOOK OUT!!"  
  
Shadow Lina squeaked and dived out of the way as Filia rushed towards the Mazoku,   
throwing herself at him. "Oh poo!" the sorceress cried. "AQUA CREATE!!"  
  
*SPLASH!*  
  
Xellos suddenly appeared next to her, wringing out his robe with his hands.   
"MUST…you do that?" he growled.  
  
"RUN, MISS DRAGON LADY!" Shadow Lina cried. She stood up and faced off with   
the Trickster Priest. "Mis…Mister Xellos…" she stuttered fearfully. "If…If you don't promise   
to leave Miss Dragon Lady alone…I…I'm going to have to stop you…with   
force…real…powerful…dangerous force…"  
  
"Fine. I promise to leave Filia chan alone." Xellos smiled.  
  
Shadow Lina blinked. "Do…Do you mean it?"  
  
"No, not really." He disappeared suddenly and reformed right in front of Filia. "Come,   
Little Dragon. I've booked us a room in the honeymoon suite!"  
  
Filia began shaking. She shut her eyes. "Must…control…myself…"  
  
"I brought massage oil!"  
  
"TAKE ME!" the dragon cried, diving toward him. Xellos held his arms out and   
grinned.   
  
Before Filia could land in the arms of her Mazoku fiance, however, Shadow Lina flew by   
and grabbed the dragon by the back of her robes, flying high into the air.   
  
Xellos grit his teeth. This game was beginning to lose its appeal for him. He   
disappeared.  
  
  
  
"Hold on, Miss Dragon Lady!" Shadow Lina cried as she flew down the street. She   
looked down and saw Jeffrey running after them. He was waving at her and yelling, trying to tell   
her something. "I wonder what he's saying."  
  
"I'm quite sure it's a warning about me," she heard above her. She squeaked in surprise   
and looked up to see Xellos flying just above them.  
  
Filia heard his voice and began struggling against the shadow's grasp. "Ack! Miss   
Dragon Lady! Don't fight!"   
  
"Xellos!" Filia cried with a pout. "Rescue me….puh-lease?" She batted her eyes at him.  
  
"Coming, Little Dragon!" Xellos assured her with a wave. He dipped and dived, flying   
under the two women now. He twisted onto his back and held his arms out. "Quick, Miss Lina!   
I'll catch her!"  
  
"No way!" Shadow Lina cried.  
  
"But she could fall," Xellos argued.  
  
"I have a good hold of her!"  
  
"Um…Miss Lina, I really could fall," Filia came in on Xellos' side.  
  
"NO!"  
  
Shadow Lina suddenly changed course and flew down a side street. Filia shook her head   
and blinked again. "Please, Miss Lina! Don't let him…"  
  
"I know! I know! Oh, what to do…" the shadow fretted. "We need to make sure he   
can't find you! If only we had a disguise you can wear! Oh! I know! Can you teleport us   
somewhere?!"  
  
"Uh…yes," Filia replied hesitantly. "But not far."  
  
"It doesn't have to be far!" The shadow quickly whispered the destination to the dragon.   
A second later, they both disappeared in a flash of light.  
  
  
  
"I don't see why Miss Clio has to be a part of all this," Miss Clio muttered, her arms over   
her chest.  
  
"Because," Filia, now arrayed in colorful blue dress and hat similar to Miss Clio's,   
replied bitterly, "You sold a dangerous pill to a ditz. It's either this, or I roast you. Got it?"  
  
"Yah, yah, Miss Clio got it…" the fortune teller mumbled.   
  
Shadow Lina, wearing a fiery red outfit and hat of her own looked up and down the street   
from behind the curtain of Miss Clio's booth. "I don't see him," she whispered. "I think we   
might have lost him."  
  
Filia sighed and sat down. "I'm so unfortunate," she muttered. "It's hard enough staying   
one step ahead of him as it is. How am I supposed to keep his hands off me when I'm tossing   
myself at him like some kind of common whore?"   
  
"Miss Dragon Lady," Shadow Lina began, "I don't think Mister Xellos sees you like   
that. I think he really likes you. He's just…well…creepy."  
  
Filia thought it over. Why her, anyway? She had never gotten that answer out of him.   
Why choose her of all entities as a mate?   
  
"Someone's coming!" Shadow Lina hissed. She grabbed Filia and took her into the back   
of the tent. Miss Clio went to the front to deal with whoever was there.  
  
"Yes? How can Miss Clio help you?"  
  
"Um…I'm looking for two of my friends," a familiar voice told her. "A cute, little   
sorceress and a blonde priestess…"  
  
"Lord Jeffrey!" Shadow Lina cried, hearing her knight in shining armor's voice and   
running to the tent flap. She threw it open, smiling broadly. "I tho…" She stopped and blinked   
at the sight that met her.  
  
Xellos was standing there, grinning. In his left hand was his staff. On his right hand was   
a little Jeffrey sock puppet. He moved his hand to make the mouth move and spoke, his voice a   
surprisingly accurate imitation of Jeffrey. "Hi, Miss Lina! Can Miss Filia come out to play?"  
  
Shadow Lina threw the flap closed and turned, her eyes wide. "Oh my god!" She looked   
over at Filia, who was trying desperately to control herself. Her eyes were clenched shut, her   
hands were over her ears, and she kept muttering something…  
  
"Jeffrey naked on a cold day! Jeffrey naked on a cold day! Jeffrey naked on a cold day!"  
  
A hand adorned with a little Xellos sock puppet suddenly pushed into the tent through the   
flap. "Little Dragon! It's your playful demon! Here to take you to a magical night of passion!"  
  
Another hand with a tiny Filia puppet appeared next to it. "Oh, Xellos!" an almost exact   
copy of Filia's voice cried from outside. "We'll live happily ever after together! Take me, my   
Mazoku God of Passion!"  
  
As if that wasn't weird enough, a third puppet-covered hand appeared. This puppet had   
red hair and fangs dripping blood. "Har! Har! Har!" the puppet cried in a crude, evil voice.   
"You will never have her! Har! Har! Har!"  
  
"Oh, Xellos! Save me!" the Filia puppet cried.  
  
"Fear not! Xellos to the rescue!" A second later, the Mazoku in question appeared inside   
the tent and bowed. "Thank you for watching Mazoku Masterpiece Theatre. To keep   
educational shows like these playing, please call now and donate for…" He blinked.  
  
Filia and Shadow Lina were already gone.  
  
"They ducked out during the commercial!" Xellos exclaimed. "How rude!"  
  
  
  
Shadow Lina and Filia panted as they ran down the street. Hiding at Miss Clio's had only   
bought them a little over an hour. Both women were getting tired. They had to think of   
something permanent. A place to hide…  
  
"Miss Lina! Miss Filia!" Jeffrey's voice called out from behind them.   
  
"Not this time!" Shadow Lina cried, turning. "AQUA CREATE!!"  
  
*SPLASH!!*  
  
Jeffrey stood there, dripping wet.  
  
"LORD JEFFREY!"  
  
"Um…Hi," he said with a short wave. "I've been looking all over for you two! What   
happened?!"  
  
"Mister Xellos is still after us!" Shadow Lina told him.   
  
"We should get Miss Filia off the street and someplace secure then!" Jeffrey replied. He   
took the dragon's hand and led her into the nearest building, which just happened to be their inn.   
  
The two dragged Filia up three flights of stairs to the top floor. Looking around, they   
soon found a room at the end of the hall. Jeffrey looked from side to side to make sure that   
Xellos wasn't around, then quickly pushed Filia inside. Then, closing the door, locking it, and   
bracing their backs against it, they turned. Jeffrey drew Razor Blade, and Shadow Lina readied a   
spell, just in case.  
  
They stood that way for several minutes. Jeffrey smiled.  
  
"I'm a genius…"  
  
Shadow Lina smiled and nodded. "He'll never find her here."  
  
  
  
Filia stood there for a moment and sighed in relief. Safe at last…  
  
A pair of arms reached out from behind her and encircled her waist, pulling her closer to   
someone. She eep'd and struggled for a moment before she heard it.  
  
"Shhhhhhh," Xellos whispered. "It's me."  
  
She tensed for a moment, then suddenly went limp, falling into him with a sigh. Xellos   
chuckled.   
  
Filia's eyes snapped open. "No," she muttered. "Mustn't…"  
  
She felt him caress her cheek with his finger. It was if fire was trailing from his fingertip   
along her skin. She felt the same tingle run down her tail as before. "Now, now, Little Dragon,"   
Xellos tittered. "Resistance is futile. I have something special planned…"  
  
The dragon felt herself shiver. Fire was enveloping her entire body.   
  
"Now why don't we come over here to the bed?" the Mazoku asked her, leading her   
gently to a king sized bed that happened to be covered with rose petals. An ice bucket with a   
bottle of champagne sat on the nightstand next to it.  
  
"How…" Filia began quietly.  
  
"Filia chan, you can either question my amazing abilities or take advantage of them, but   
you can't do both," Xellos chastised her, waving a finger at her.   
  
She tried again to resist, tried to control the emotions raging in her, tried to call out for   
help from Shadow Lina, but in the end all she could do was lean up and kiss him. He gently   
guided her down to the bed and smiled.  
  
"Do you feel relaxed, Little Dragon?" he asked.   
  
"Y…yes," Filia sighed. (Oh God! This can't be happening!) she thought frantically.   
(He's about to…He's going to…) She shivered at the unfinished thought.   
  
"Now, then, this is very important, Filia chan, so I want you to listen carefully…"  
  
(Oh God, just get on with it!) she begged silently. "Xellos…" she whined.  
  
"Tell me, Filia chan…Do you WANT this?"  
  
She groaned up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.  
  
"I'll take that as a yes…" Xellos told her and bent down to her.  
  
Filia closed her eyes and leaned up to meet his kiss when suddenly…  
  
She blinked.  
  
She grit her teeth.  
  
She began to growl.  
  
Xellos looked down at her, uncertain. "Um…Little Dragon?"  
  
"You…" Filia bit out. "Creepy….slimy….shameless….sleezy….   
horrible….disgusting…"  
  
"Uh oh," Xellos muttered.  
  
"NAMAGOMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Filia screamed at him.  
  
  
  
"Do you hear that?" Jeffrey asked, his sword still pointed down the hall.  
  
"No," Shadow Lina told him. "Why?"  
  
He shrugged. "Thought I heard something…"  
  
  
  
"YOU HORRIBLE, DISGUSTING CREATURE!!!" Filia screamed at him again,   
swinging her mace. "YOU JUST COULDN'T WAIT TO GET ME INTO THE SACK!!!"  
  
"Well, of course not, Little Dragon!" Xellos replied, dodging another swing and   
teleporting to the other side of the room. "Who would?!"  
  
She growled. "Thank the Fire Dragon that that pill wore off when it did!" Filia told him,   
praising Heaven above at the same time. "How could you?!"  
  
Xellos shrugged. "You're my chosen mate. It's what's natural."  
  
"I AM NOT YOUR MATE!!!" she screamed at him. Then she did something that   
surprised him. She fell to her knees and began to cry. "Why…Why are you doing this to me?!"   
she wept. "Do you really hate me that much?!" Xellos blinked in shock. "Why are you   
tormenting ME?!" Her mace fell from her hand and hit the floor with a thud.   
  
Xellos watched her for several moments, unsure of what to say. He had only been   
teasing. Annoy her, fine. Anger her, great. He wasn't TRYING to make her…like this…  
  
"Just tell me why," Filia begged. "Why me?"  
  
The Trickster Priest sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. He stayed that way for several   
moments, just staring down at the floor. "I…respect you," he said quietly. He wouldn't face her.   
She looked up at him, her eyes searching for insult or teasing.   
  
"No you don't," she said quietly. "You've never…"  
  
"Filia chan," he said quietly. "By the time I realized that Peak had snuck up on me, there   
was very little I could do. It's not like how it is for you or for humans. Normally, there's time to   
prepare, to find a suitable Mazoku mate, but my existence has hardly been normal, even for a   
Mazoku. We mate for life, so I knew that I had to make a decision and make that decision final."  
  
Filia said nothing as he continued.  
  
"It came down to two choices," he told her. "Lina Inverse, the most powerful entity I've   
ever known. Or you. Lina chan might have given me incredibly powerful children…but… I fear   
she might be TOO powerful. You don't realize the reputation she has where I come from. We   
FEAR her, Filia chan. If I chose her, she…I…and any offspring we might have…would be dead   
VERY quickly."  
  
"Then why me?" she asked.  
  
He smiled. "I told you. I respect you, Filia chan. Do you remember when we fought   
Almayce at your temple?"  
  
"Yes, of course," she told him.  
  
"Your Elder, all those older, male, warrior caste dragons…They took one look at me and   
COWERED, Filia chan. They refused to take part in that battle because they all feared me." He   
hmmph'd. "Cowards, all of them. But YOU, Filia chan… You've ALWAYS stood up to me.   
You threatened me, insulted me, belittled me, my people, and my faith…. And you did it fully   
aware of my history with your people, and fully aware that I could KILL you any time I felt like   
taking three seconds out of my day to do it."  
  
Filia swallowed nervously.   
  
"Then you volunteered to raise Val, even knowing that I might one day be forced to come   
after him." He looked at her. "Even though you knew one day I might come to kill the both of   
you." She took a quick breath at this last remark. "Even now, I respect you, Filia chan," he   
continued. "Do you know how easily I could force you to submit to me? Are you aware that if   
all I wanted from you was fifteen minutes in bed, I could've taken that at any time? That if I so   
desired, I could have you on your knees, begging me to ALLOW you to sleep with me simply by   
threatening that tiny egg at Kataart?"  
  
"Then why don't you?" she asked.  
  
"Because, Filia chan, it is not enough that I have you physically," he confessed. "I desire   
your respect. Do you know what a blow it is to my pride?" he asked her. "That I, one of the   
greatest Mazoku to ever terrify humanity and dragonhood, am forced to grant you what you will   
never grant me? Honest and true respect?"  
  
He stood up and faced her, looking down at the teary-eyed woman kneeling before him.   
"You are going to be my mate, Filia chan," he told her. "But I'm not going to take your respect.   
One day, you're going to offer it to me."  
  
With those last words, he disappeared. Filia only blinked in shock. For the first time   
since meeting him, Xellos had said something nice to her… and meant it.  
  
  
  
"This mess is all my fault," Shadow Lina muttered sadly.   
  
Jeffrey looked over at her. "Um…Why were you trying to put that pill in my cup,   
anyway?" he asked.  
  
Shadow Lina sniffled. "I just wanted to see if you liked me. I…like you."  
  
The knight blinked down at her. "I like you too," he said.  
  
The sorceress turned to him, starry eyed and breathless. "You do?!"  
  
"Well…yeah," he told her. "I mean…you're nice…and pretty brave. And   
you're…um…you know…." He looked away and finished his statement. "Pretty."  
  
Shadow Lina beamed, the stars in her eyes threatening to go supernova and wipe out   
humanity. "You mean it?!"  
  
"Yeah," Jeffrey said, the blush on his face tomato red. "I just…well…figured you   
wouldn't care… I mean…You're a pretty powerful sorceress…and…well… Why would you   
ever like someone like me?"  
  
"Because you're strong and brave!" Shadow Lina cried out in admiration. "Like when   
you stood up to Mister Xellos! Or Miss Naga's golem! Other men would run away! But you   
stayed and stood up to them!" Jeffrey blushed even redder. "You're the bravest man I've ever   
met, Lord Jeffrey!" she told him honestly.  
  
"Um…" he began. "You…um…wanna get some ice cream?" he asked.  
  
"Sure," Shadow Lina replied quietly, suddenly demure and embarrassed. She looked up   
and blinked a second later. "But what about Miss Dragon Lady!?"  
  
At that moment, the door opened. Filia stood there, a look of dazed shock on her face.  
  
"Miss Filia?" Jeffrey asked.  
  
"The pill's worn off," she said quietly. "It's over."  
  
"Really?" Shadow Lina asked. "Cool!"  
  
The dragon looked away and took a breath. "Yeah…cool…"  
  
  
  
Naga poured the bucket of water on her head and sighed in contentment. The Atlas City   
Jail didn't have a bath, and after three days of rotting in there, the White Serpent was ready for a   
good, long soak in the inn's public, outdoor bath.  
  
Sitting nearby, Filia and Shadow Lina soaked, their thoughts elsewhere.   
  
"So what else did I miss?" Naga asked them. The two seemed to snap awake.  
  
"Nothing much," Filia told her.  
  
"Oh?" the sorceress asked. She leered at them. "Tell me, Filia, did you ever tag   
Xellos?"  
  
Filia turned red and faced her angrily. "No!" she retorted, but wouldn't say anything   
else on the matter. She had been giving it a lot of thought lately. Was he telling her the truth   
when he said he respected her? If so, then why would he try so hard to take advantage of her   
impassioned state? She had asked herself that question until she remembered Peak.   
  
Was that condition driving him to it?  
  
"And what about you, Lina?" Naga turned her sights on Shadow Lina. "How did your   
date with Jeffrey go?"  
  
Shadow Lina turned red…then crimson….then purple. "Youknowitwasokay…" she   
answered quickly, looking away.  
  
Naga grinned. "You know," she said off-handedly, "It's going to be interesting to see   
which of you is going to lose her virginity first."  
  
"WHAT?!" they cried.  
  
Before either of them could reply in depth, a sound was heard from over the bamboo   
fence separating the women's bath from the men's. Naga grimaced and quickly covered her   
ears.  
  
"I'm going to kill him!" she muttered.  
  
Shadow Lina began to cry.  
  
Filia sighed. "Namagomi!" she called out through the fence. The sound stopped. "If   
you're going to play that dreadful instrument….could you at least play something upbeat?" She   
smiled.  
  
There was silence from the men's bath for a moment, almost as if the musician were   
taken aback. Then, suddenly, a new harmonica tune began to play.   
  
Something upbeat.  
  
  
To Be Continued…  



	10. Splash! National Inverse's Vacation!

Slayers doesn't belong to me, but rather Kadokawa Shoten.  
  
LINA: What we need is some R and R!  
  
AMELIA: I agree! The fight for justice requires high morale! That being the case, we've all gone   
to a little resort town to unwind!  
  
ZELGADIS: Do I REALLY have to wear this ridiculous swimsuit?  
  
SYLPHIEL: But it looks so KAWAII on you, Zelgadis dear!  
  
LINA: Ah…I truly am a genius…Nothing bad can happen to us here…  
  
  
Faces: After!  
Part 10  
Splash!  
National Inverse's Vacation!  
  
  
  
"Please? Trust me?"   
  
Zelgadis looked at the man, unsure of what to do. Behind him, Lina, Gourry, Amelia, and   
Sylphiel watched on, ready to assist however they could.   
  
"Zelgadis dear?" Sylphiel asked quietly.  
  
The chimera looked at the yellow-eyed man. Sylphiel watched fearfully as he reached out   
to him. The yellow-eyed man smiled and took Zelgadis' hand. Suddenly, the chimera's eyes went   
wide.  
  
"Zelgadis dear?!" Sylphiel cried.  
  
A black mist seemed to reach out of the yellow-eyed man's sleeve and snake its way up   
Zelgadis' arm. The chimera tried to pull away, but the man had him firmly in his grasp. Within   
seconds, black mist surrounded Zelgadis, choking off his screams of terror.  
  
They watched in fright as the smoke was drawn back into the man. Zelgadis was gone.  
  
Sylphiel covered her mouth with her hands and screamed…  
  
  
  
"ZELGADIS DEAR!!"  
  
Sylphiel shot bolt upright in bed, panting, her hand to her chest. Her nightgown was wet.   
Looking down she saw that her entire body was coated with sweat. She felt someone stir next to   
her and turned to see Zelgadis sitting up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.  
  
"Sylphiel? What's wrong?"  
  
She stared at him for a few seconds, then hugged him tightly, crying her eyes out.   
  
"Sylphiel?!"  
  
"Don't trust him!" she cried, squeezing him even tighter. "No matter what he offers you!   
No matter what he tells you! Don't trust him!"  
  
"Who?" he asked.  
  
"The man with yellow eyes," she wept softly. "Don't trust him, please, Zelgadis dear!   
Don't trust him!"  
  
Zelgadis, still half asleep and groggy, could only blink.   
  
"Please," she begged softly, tears running down her face.  
  
"Okay," he said quietly, wrapping his arms around her. "Okay, I won't. I promise," he   
told her in what he hoped was a soothing tone of voice. She held him tightly and continued to cry.   
"What happened?" he asked her.  
  
"I…I saw…a…" She paused and took a breath, trying to collect her thoughts. "A man   
with…with yellow eyes, and he…He…"  
  
Zelgadis waited for her to continue. After a few moments of silence, she looked up at him   
in confusion.  
  
"I don't remember," she whispered. "I can't remember any of it!"  
  
  
  
The sun had not yet risen though TECHNICALLY it was morning. Torches lit the small   
riverside dock, illuminating the ferry barge that slowly approached them.  
  
Greysword took a breath and rested her hand on her katana's hilt. The wood of the ferry's   
hull made a clunking sound as it came into contact with the dock. Zero stepped in front of her and   
knelt, facing the ferry, his head bowed. Greysword made no move to mimic him. Zero could   
consider Scarrin some kind of lord if he liked. To her she was just a man.  
  
The man who stepped off the ferry almost looked like any other traveler, though he seemed   
to favor wearing black and grey, giving him a more sinister look. His light brown hair was cut   
short and neat. He carried no luggage, but aside from that Greysword might have taken him for any   
of a thousand men who wander the continent. Except for one detail…  
  
His yellow eyes.   
  
They were feline, almost like tiger's eyes. Sharp and predatory. It was these eyes that   
found Zero kneeling there.  
  
"You call me…and tell me that Greywords is in Borden," the man said casually. "And   
then you call me and tell me he's not." Zero tensed but said nothing. "I'm beginning to see how   
Rezo was so easily beaten," the man finished tiredly.  
  
Zero took a breath, but still remained silent.   
  
"And you, my dear," he continued, walking toward Greysword. "Any worse for wear for   
your ordeal?"  
  
"No, thank you," she told him.   
  
He smiled. "Excellent. Excellent," he whispered. "Well, you did manage to find him, at   
least. That's a start."  
  
"How do you want us to proceed?" Zero asked, his head still bowed.  
  
The man turned back to him as if realizing he was there for the first time. "It's obvious that   
you need help," he told the priest. "I'll come along personally…Along with an old associate." He   
looked to the ferry and crooked a finger. Something stepped off the ferry and approached. A black   
hood concealed most of its face, but its paws and feet could be seen…as well as a portion of its   
snout.  
  
Greysword took a breath.   
  
"Mister Gandrav is a tracker of impeccable skill," the man informed them. "As you know,   
Zero, I'm sure."  
  
"Yes, Lord Scarrin."  
  
The werewolf, Gandrav, snarled.  
  
  
  
(They're….eating…Like…people…)   
  
That was all that could go through Amelia's mind as she watched Lina and Gourry, sitting   
across from each other at the table, eating breakfast…  
  
Like regular people.  
  
No fighting. No lunges for each other's food. No speaking with their mouths full.  
  
If she closed her eyes…she could almost imagine they were two different people…  
  
She watched as they both reached for the last sausage and braced herself hopefully. (Here   
it comes!) she thought.  
  
They both noticed they were going for the same piece of meat at the same time and   
withdrew their hands. "You can have it," Lina told him.  
  
"No, please," Gourry replied. "Go ahead."  
  
"Um…I'm full," Lina said, standing up. "I'm…going to check out." She turned and   
walked out of the inn's restaurant.  
  
"Mister Gourry," Amelia said quietly. "I'm scared."  
  
The swordsman looked on as the sorceress walked out of sight. She had been so distant the   
last four days. He wondered what he had done. Maybe he should have done or said something   
when she kissed him. He sighed.   
  
What was he going to do?  
  
  
  
Four days.  
  
She had kissed him four days ago, and he still hadn't done anything. He hadn't even   
MENTIONED it since then. She didn't want to push him or seem too eager, but it was almost as if   
he didn't care; that if he had his way, he'd sooner forget it happened and move on.  
  
(Pudding for brains…) she thought.  
  
"Lina?"  
  
She turned and saw Zelgadis standing behind her.   
  
"Can I talk to you?"  
  
"Sure, Zel. What's wrong?" she asked, glad to have something to think about besides her   
own problem for awhile.  
  
Zelgadis looked over at the stairs, then took Lina's arm and led her into another room   
before beginning. "I think there's something wrong with Sylphiel."  
  
She blinked at him. "What do you mean?"  
  
The chimera seemed hesitant to continue, but did anyway. "The past few days she's been   
waking up in the middle of the night…crying…" Lina listened, concern crossing her face.   
"Sometimes actually SCREAMING," he went on. "She tells me about these dreams she's been   
having, but she can't remember more than bits or pieces of them."  
  
"Dreams about what?" she asked.  
  
"A man with yellow eyes," he told her. "Who kills me."  
  
"That doesn't sound like your average, run of the mill, irrational nightmare," she told him   
quietly. "Especially after what's been happening the last couple of weeks."  
  
"I'm worried about her, Lina," he said in a whisper. "It's happened every night for three   
days now. And afterward it's almost impossible for her to go back to sleep. I think it's starting to   
affect her."  
  
"Okay, Zel. I'll talk to her."  
  
He put a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you, Lina."  
  
She gave him a reassuring smile and nodded. Zelgadis turned as he heard Sylphiel's voice   
in the next room calling for him. He gave Lina a final nod and left the room.  
  
The redhead sighed. Everyone was so on edge lately. She had thought that it was just her   
and Gourry feeling it, now it turns out that Sylphiel's having nightmares, Amelia is probably still   
feeling lousy, and she had never seen Zelgadis so concerned about anything in years.  
  
What they really needed was a vacation. A way to rest and relax. She blinked. Wait a   
sec… Wasn't there a resort town three days from them?  
  
With the beginnings of an idea in her head, Lina marched back to the restauraunt.  
  
  
  
"LOOK OUT BELOW!!!" Gourry cried as he jumped from the top diving platform, pulled   
his legs up to his chest, and crashed into the pool's blue water with a humongous splash. Sitting at   
a table covered by a large umbrella, Lina cringed as the water from the splash hit her.  
  
"GOURRY! YOU ARE SO DEAD!" she screamed.   
  
The swordsman grinned and waved from the pool. "If you wanna get me back, Lina, you   
have to come into the pool!" He stuck his tongue out at her and made a face.  
  
Lina growled and clenched her fists. Suddenly, she started to smile. "Says who?" she   
asked. She snapped her fingers. "Aqua Create!"  
  
Gourry cried out as he was suddenly drenched by a flood of water that just appeared in the   
air around him.  
  
That taken care of, Lina sat down again and adjusted the shoulder straps on her red, one-  
piece bathing suit. Sitting across the table from her, still in his tan travelling clothes, Zelgadis took   
a sip of his tea and shook his head.  
  
Lying on a lawn chair not far away, Amelia adjusted her sunglasses and sighed contentedly,   
soaking up the sun's rays in her white bathing suit. "This was such a great idea, Miss Lina," she   
said lazily as she brought her blue, tropical daiquiri to her lips and took a sip.  
  
Zelgadis was ambivalent about this trip. On one hand, they seemed to need it. On the   
other, it was still a delay, and Zero and Greysword were still out there. Even so, if this helped   
Sylphiel, he was willing to give it a shot.  
  
As if thinking of her made her appear, he heard her voice call out to him from his right.  
  
"Zelgadis dear!"   
  
He turned and saw her approaching, wearing a purple one-piece bathing suit. She smiled   
and waved as she walked up to him. The chimera could only blink and blush. He knew that   
Sylphiel was a lovely young woman, but in that bathing suit, it was even more obvious.  
  
"Zelgadis dear! Where's your bathing suit?" she asked, blinking.  
  
He chuckled, holding up his hand to show off the rock skin. "No point to one."  
  
She grabbed his hand and started pulling. "Nonsense! You're the only one in those hot   
clothes! Come on!" She continued to tug him out of his chair.  
  
"Er…Sylphiel…"  
  
"No buts," she told him. "At the very least you can get some sun!" She managed to pull   
him out of his chair and towards the inn's sport shop.   
  
Lina smiled and tried to contain her laughter. She turned and saw Gourry still splashing   
around the pool. She thought for a moment and stood up, taking a few quick steps and diving into   
the pool. She swam under the water right up to the blonde and grabbed his legs, giving them a hard   
pull off his feet. He fell with a splash.  
  
The swordsman broke the surface and sputtered. "Oi! Lina! No fair!" He splashed her to   
get even. She laughed and dived again.  
  
Gourry climbed out of the pool and shook his head. "I'm going for another dive…"  
  
Without thinking, Lina leapt up out of the water, reached out…  
  
And pantsed Gourry.  
  
For several seconds…the world stopped spinning.  
  
At that point, two women on the other side of the pool gave Gourry a wolf whistle and a   
cheer. Gourry responded by crying out and falling back into the pool, his swimming trunks around   
his ankles. He stood up in the water a moment later. "LINA!!"  
  
Unfortunately, he was in the shallow end, and considering how tall Gourry is, that meant   
that the water only came up to his…  
  
Lina turned beet red and turned away quickly, blushing furiously.  
  
Gourry screamed again and reached down, pulling his trunks up. His face was as red as a   
tomato. Lina was still looking away, so embarrassed she thought she was going to faint.  
  
The only thing that saved them from that embarrassing situation was the reappearance of   
Sylphiel, leading a frowning Zelgadis back to the pool area. Why the chimera was frowning was   
soon painfully obvious. As promised, Zelgadis was now wearing swim trunks…  
  
With cute little duckies sewn onto them.  
  
Lina was still red, but she was red from trying to hold back laughter.  
  
She didn't stay red that long…  
  
Neither did Gourry or Amelia. They laughed hysterically. Now it was Zelgadis' turn to   
turn crimson. Sylphiel blinked in puzzlement.  
  
"What?" she asked. "What's so funny?"  
  
The chimera growled. "It was all they had left."  
  
Lina opened her mouth to reply, but ended up in another laughing fit instead.  
  
Sylphiel hmmph'd. "I think they're adorable!"  
  
They laughed harder.  
  
Zelgadis sighed and gave up. He turned and sat back down in the chair he had occupied   
earlier.   
  
"What is so wrong with cute little duckies?!" Sylphiel cried at them. As they continued to   
laugh, she sniffed and turned, walking to the table and taking a seat in a lawn chair between   
Amelia and Zelgadis.  
  
She picked up the bottle of sunscreen Amelia had used and applied it to her arms and legs.   
(Hmmph!) she thought to herself. (Laughing at cute little duckies! What's next?!) Looking up,   
she saw that Zelgadis was doing pretty much what he was doing before, sitting at the table, reading   
over a book.  
  
"Zelgadis dear," she began in her protective-lecture tone. "You should put on some   
sunscreen."  
  
"I don't think stone can burn, Sylphiel," he reminded her.   
  
"That makes no difference at all! It's part of the experience!" She got up and approached   
him, taking up position behind him and pouring some of the sunscreen into her hand. Before he   
could protest, she was rubbing it into his shoulders. "There!" she said in victory.  
  
The chimera began to turn red as Sylphiel's hands rubbed more of the lotion into his stone   
skin. "Um…Thank you…"  
  
"Good. When I'm done, you can do my back."  
  
Zelgadis swallowed nervously. He still wasn't quite comfortable with public acts of   
affection. Sylphiel, on the other hand, had no problem at all with them. But, she seemed happier,   
so he was willing to meet her halfway.  
  
Sylphiel continued to massage his shoulders, but something caught her eye. Those two   
women who had whistled at Gourry before were now looking at Zelgadis and smiling. They   
giggled girlishly and winked at him…. And by "him" that meant HER Zelgadis dear…  
  
She heard Zelgadis gasp quietly under her hands and looked down to find him wincing.   
Her fingers were pressing so hard into his shoulders, marks were beginning to appear.  
  
"Oh! I'm sorry, Zelgadis dear!" she apologized quickly.  
  
"No problem," he said with a wince.   
  
"This really was a good idea Miss Lina had, wasn't it?" she asked him, resuming her   
massage.  
  
"Heh…I have to admit it was," he told her. He looked up at her. "I'm glad you're feeling   
better."  
  
"I guess it was just stress," she told him. "What about you?"  
  
"What about me?"  
  
"Zelgadis dear, I could tell. You're worried about Zero and Greysword, aren't you?" Her   
voice was tinted with concern.  
  
"I still have no idea why they would be looking for me," he confessed. "And…for some   
reason…I have this feeling that I know her from somewhere."  
  
"Well, I'm sure we'll come up with something," she told him. "Now, why don't you do my   
back?"  
  
He blushed again and coughed. "Sure…"  
  
  
  
Greysword watched as a pigeon landed on Scarrin's shoulder. The tall man reached up   
and grasped the bird in his hand, pulling the small capsule from its leg. He opened the capsule and   
removed the small note inside.   
  
"Something?" Zero asked.  
  
Scarrin crushed the note into a ball and tossed it away. "Six days," he muttered.   
"Greywords is in a town six days from here."  
  
Greysword growled. "Great," she muttered. "In the six days it takes us to get there, he can   
be anywhere in the world."  
  
"Do we have anyone close enough to take him?" Zero asked.  
  
"No," Scarrin said lazily, obviously deep in thought. He looked at them. "What we need   
to do is slow them down long enough for us to get there."  
  
"And how do we do that?" Greysword asked.  
  
Scarrin smiled. "With the help of an old associate."  
  
  
  
"Oi. Zelgadis. Can I talk to you?"  
  
Gourry's voice was hushed as he waylaid the chimera by the door to the restaurant.   
  
(Gourry wants to talk?) Zelgadis thought. (Let me put my thinking cap on…) He finally   
just nodded.  
  
"Not here," the blonde swordsman said. He looked from side to side. "Let's go for a   
walk."  
  
(And now I'm worried,) the chimera thought. "Sure." He waved to the three women who   
had gotten ahead of them and were already picking out a table. "Oi! Gourry and I are going for a   
quick walk! We'll be back in a bit!"  
  
"They're up to something," Lina told Sylphiel and Amelia darkly.  
  
"I'm sure they just want to…" Sylphiel began, but failed to come up with a good excuse   
and shrugged. They watched as the two men disappeared out the door.  
  
Silence fell over the table. Each of the three women kept to their own thoughts. This   
worked fine while they were eating, but afterwards it just got ridiculous.  
  
"Okay!" Lina cried suddenly. "Someone, I don't care who, talk!"  
  
"Talk about what?" Amelia asked.  
  
"ANYTHING!!"  
  
"Hmmm….Surely there's something," Sylphiel told them. "Some common interest or   
passion we all share. Something we can just sit around and discuss. There's art, literature,   
music…"  
  
"Justice!" Amelia threw in.  
  
They all sat there quietly for another moment.   
  
"Okay, how about this?" Lina asked and began.  
  
  
  
Scarrin took one last look at the circle he had drawn in the dirt and stood back.   
  
"A summoner's circle," Zero noted. "You're going to ask the Mazoku for help."  
  
The man nodded and closed his eyes, beginning a chant.  
  
"This isn't a good idea," Greysword spoke up. "We have enough monsters to deal with   
without INVITING one here."  
  
The circle began to darken, smoke began rising from its edges. This smoke gave way to   
flame, and soon a pillar of fire contained by the circle was blazing high into the sky.   
  
Greysword actually fell back on her butt, her hand going to her sword. It was incredible.   
"Sweet Cepheid," she gasped. "Who are you calling?! Shabranigdo himself?!"  
  
The fire died down and became smoke again, smoke that blew away with a sudden gust of   
wind, revealing…  
  
A house cat.  
  
Yes, you read right.  
  
An ordinary, black and white housecat.  
  
"A cat," Greysword remarked, climbing to her feet. She threw her arms wide. "Why   
didn't I think of that?!" she asked sarcastically.  
  
The cat shook his head and groaned. "And once again a HUMAN completely misses the   
point." Greysword blinked.  
  
"Vanya, my dear," Scarrin said. "Be a dear and find Gandrav for me. He's scouting up   
ahead, down the road a bit."  
  
Greysword only nodded and gave the cat one last look before walking off.  
  
"Scarrin," the cat began. "You're looking…human."  
  
Scarrin looked down at the cat. "How is Beastmaster Metallium these days?"  
  
"Get to the deal, Scarrin," the cat spoke up in annoyance. "I haven't got all day."  
  
"Five hundred years ago I did you a favor, Callisto," Scarrin replied, his tone level, but   
serious. "Time to collect."  
  
"And?" Callisto asked.  
  
"Six days east of us is a town. Lina Inverse's party is there…"  
  
"Forget it," the cat said quickly. "No five hundred year old favor is worth dying for."  
  
"Relax. I'm not asking for much. They don't even have to know you were there." Scarrin   
smiled.  
  
Callisto arched a furry eyebrow. "Go on."  
  
"We need time to catch up to them. You don't need to know why. All I want you to do…is   
wound one of them. I don't care which. That will keep them in that town long enough for us to get   
there."  
  
Callisto thought on it. "Then you and I are even?"  
  
Scarrin nodded. "Then we're even. Better, you could say. Once I do catch up with them,   
Lina Inverse will most certainly end up dying. Then you can claim a portion of the success for   
yourself. You and I will be even, and Metallium will owe you one."  
  
The cat turned away and thought it over. After a minute's thought, he turned back. "Very   
well. The town…Saldellia?" Scarrin nodded. "All right. I'll buy you your six days. No more."   
With that, the cat disappeared.  
  
"Zero, I want as many men and as much equipment as can be gathered in one hour made   
ready. We're leaving."  
  
  
  
"And you haven't TALKED to her about it since then?" Zelgadis asked in amazement.  
  
"No," Gourry told him. "At first I didn't know what to do. Then she seemed to go back to   
being herself for awhile. Now she seems…I don't know…sad…angry…I just don't know what   
I'm supposed to say."  
  
"So why are you asking me?" the chimera asked.  
  
"You know about women," Gourry told him matter-of-factly.  
  
"Since when?!" Zelgadis asked, blinking confusedly.  
  
"Well, you and Sylphiel are together, right?"  
  
"Well…yeah, but that doesn't mean…"  
  
"Please, Zel!" Gourry begged. "One wrong move and she'll fry me! You KNOW how she   
is!"  
  
Zelgadis sighed. "Gourry, you're asking me to guide you on something concerning LINA   
based on what I know of SYLPHIEL…Doesn't that strike you as wrong?"  
  
"ANYTHING will help!"  
  
The chimera sighed again. "Well… Why don't you just TALK to her? It's not like she's   
shy…"  
  
"Yeah, but what do I say?"  
  
"How should I know?!"  
  
Gourry sighed and hung his head. "It's hopeless. I'm doomed."  
  
"Well…she DID kiss you. Maybe that was supposed to be a HINT," the chimera   
prompted him. Gourry didn't answer. "Gourry, let me be honest. I know less about how women   
work than YOU do." The swordsman whimpered. "Maybe Sylphiel could help you…"  
  
Gourry looked up hopefully. "Think I could ask her!?"  
  
"I don't see how it could hurt."  
  
The two had walked a circuit around the inn and were just now coming back to the   
restaurant. The sounds of a 'conversation' floated from the doorway as diners left in large groups.   
Lina was making a well-fashioned point as they walked up.  
  
"YOU MUST BE OUT OF YOUR DAMN MIND!!!" they heard her cry.  
  
Zelgadis and Gourry sighed and opened the door.  
  
  
  
"Oh! There they go! THERE THEY GO!" Lina cried, out of her seat and gesturing wildly   
with her hand. "EVERY time I start talking about boxing, a Seyruunian has to pull Rat Sacram out   
of the sky! That's their one! That's their one! 'Rat Sacram!' 'Rat Sacram!' Let me tell you   
something! Rat Sacram was good! But next to Van Bacov, Rat Sacram was NOTHING!"  
  
Amelia, seated across the table with her hands folded over her chest smiled. "He beat Van   
Bacov's ass," she sang.  
  
Lina opened her mouth for another tirade, but Sylphiel beat her to it. "That's right, Miss   
Lina, he DID beat Van Bacov…"  
  
The sorceress looked at her, betrayed. "VAN BACOV WAS TWO-HUNDRED AND   
SEVENTY FIVE YEARS OLD!!!!"  
  
"I don't know how old he was," Amelia told her smugly. "But he got his butt pounded."  
  
"VAN BACOV WAS TWO-HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE WHEN HE FOUGHT   
RAT SACRAM! HE CAME OUT OF RETIREMENT TO DO IT!"  
  
Amelia arched an eyebrow. "So you DO admit, he got his butt kicked…"  
  
Lina grit her teeth and clenched her fists. Before she could say anything, however, they   
were interrupted.  
  
Amelia cried out in surprise as something small and furry hopped up into her lap. She   
blinked down at the intruder and smiled. "Hello there, little kitty cat," she cooed. "Are you   
looking for scraps? Huh?" She reached down and started scratching the black and white housecat   
behind the ears. The cat started to purr.  
  
"Well, I happen to think that both boxers possess a great amount of skill," Sylphiel put in,   
trying to diffuse a potential argument.  
  
"YOU'RE A BALBOA FAN! HOW WOULD YOU KNOW?!" Lina cried.  
  
"Miss Lina!" Amelia began sternly. "You're taking this far too seriously." She cried out   
and hissed a moment later. The cat jumped off her lap and ran out the door.  
  
"Miss Amelia?" Sylphiel asked in concern.  
  
"That cat scratched me!" Amelia complained, looking down at the tiny red mark on her   
hand dejectedly.  
  
"I guess he's not a boxing fan," Sylphiel told her with a smile.  
  
"We leave for five minutes…" Zelgadis sighed.  
  
  
  
Sylphiel's eyes snapped open, and she gasped in fright. She looked down and found that   
the book she had been reading was resting on her chest. No one was around. She was back in her   
room, sitting in a chair.  
  
Another dream…She must have fallen asleep…  
  
There was a knock on the door. She quickly wiped the sweat from her brow and called for   
whoever it was to come in. Gourry opened the door and poked his head inside. "Sylphiel? Can I   
talk to you?"  
  
"Of course, Gourry," she replied, putting on a smile.  
  
  
  
"Amelia, are you okay?" Lina asked while removing her cape and hanging it on a peg in   
the wall of their room.  
  
Sitting on her bed, Amelia's hand went to her forehead and wiped away the dampness   
there. "I'm just not feeling so great, Miss Lina," the princess replied.   
  
Lina looked over her young sidekick and hmm'd. Amelia's face was pale, and the girl was   
coughing every few minutes. "You should turn in. Get some rest," she told her.  
  
"Yeah," Amelia told her, giving in immediately. "I think I'll do that."  
  
As the young girl climbed under the covers, not even bothering to undress, there was a   
knock at the door. Lina threw one last concerned look at Amelia before opening it to find Gourry   
standing there.  
  
"Hi, Gourry," she said deadpan.   
  
The swordsman stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do. Sylphiel's words came   
back to him a moment later.  
  
("Women like flowers,") she had said. ("So before you see her, you should…")  
  
(Oh! Right!)  
  
He thrust his hand out, a bouquet of daisies clenched in his fingers…dirt still clinging to the   
roots.   
  
Lina arched an eyebrow. "Gourry? Did you take those from the inn's front window flower   
box?"  
  
The swordsman sweatdropped.   
  
A tiny Sylphiel appeared on his shoulder. "Ask her to take a walk," she prompted.  
  
"Take a walk," Gourry said quickly.  
  
"Excuse me?" Lina asked darkly.  
  
"I mean!" he blurted. "Would you…like to…walk…um…go for a walk…with me?"  
  
The sorceress blinked. (Oh, Cepheid, is he trying to be SUAVE?!) She stared at him for a   
moment. He looked scared out of his mind.  
  
Perfect.  
  
"Sure, Gourry," she said with a bright smile.  
  
In her rush, she didn't give Amelia another thought.  
  
  
  
"Quick, what do I do now?" Gourry whispered to the tiny Sylphiel sitting on his shoulder   
as he and Lina walked into the inn's small garden. Rose bushes lined the cobblestone pathway,   
and fireflies could be seen glowing in the dusk's dim light.  
  
The chibi-Sylphiel put her finger to her lip in thought. "You should compliment her on her   
looks," she advised.  
  
"Oh, right," he said, suddenly remembering. He turned to the redhead and cleared his   
throat. "You…look nice tonight…Lina," he said slowly.  
  
Lina gave him a half-smile, more at his nervousness than the compliment itself, which she   
had to admit was nice. "Thank you, Gourry."  
  
There was silence for a few minutes. Gourry waited for her to say something. Hell, by   
now he would've been thrilled if she YELLED at him. At least that was normal…for Lina   
anyway. He turned back to the Chibi-Sylphiel. "Now what?" he whispered.  
  
"Hmmm," she replied. "I guess there really should've been small talk by now, huh?"  
  
"You mean you don't know what to do next?!" Gourry hissed in panic.  
  
The Chibi-Sylphiel waved her hands out in front of her and sweatdropped frantically.   
"No! I didn't say that! It's okay! It's okay!" She thought for a moment. "I know! Skip to the   
finale!"  
  
"What finale?!"  
  
"Serenade her!"  
  
Gourry's eyes narrowed. "I still don't think that will actually work…"  
  
"Women like it when handsome men sing for them. I know I do." She smiled.  
  
"What can I sing?!" he asked, beginning to panic again.  
  
"Zelgadis dear sometimes plays the guitar for me," Chibi-Sylphiel told him.  
  
"I can't play the guitar!"  
  
Meanwhile, Lina watched, blinking, as Gourry argued with his shoulder. "Um…Gourry?"  
  
"Where am I going to get a banjo or a set of drums at this time of night!?" Gourry shot back   
at his shoulder. "I'm telling you, it won't….But, I… It's not going…" He sighed. "Fine…"  
  
"I'm not sure what's weirder," Lina whispered to herself. "Gourry arguing with his   
shoulder, or the fact that he appears to be losing…"  
  
The tiny Xellos and Filia suddenly appeared on her shoulders. "You're one to talk!" they   
accused her simultaneously.  
  
"Ack!"  
  
"Lina." She turned back to Gourry and found him looking down at her seriously.  
  
"Um…Yeah?" she asked nervously.  
  
The swordsman swallowed nervously, obviously rattled. He opened and closed his mouth   
several times, trying to say something, but not sure what. Lina waited for him to begin, becoming   
rather impatient…  
  
Finally, a sound emerged from Gourry's mouth.   
  
"You never close your eyes…anymore when I kiss….your lips…" he sang.  
  
(No…uh uh…This is NOT happening…) she thought.  
  
"Oh! That is so sweet!" Chibi-Filia cried, squealing in delight.  
  
"Phhht! I could do better!" Chibi-Xellos bragged.  
  
"Um…Gourry?" Lina began.  
  
"There's no tenderness…anymore in your finger…tips…" Gourry sang, Chibi-Sylphiel   
singing along from his shoulder, her hands clasped and her eyes closed. "You're trying hard not to   
show it…"  
  
"Bay-bee!" Chibi-Sylphiel, Chibi-Xellos, and Chibi-Filia sang out.  
  
"But baby! Believe me, I know it!" Gourry continued to sing. "You've lost…that lov…"  
  
"Gourry! Gourry stop!" Lina begged, grabbing him by the front of his armor.   
"Just…stop…" she asked quietly.  
  
He looked down at her for a minute. She still had a hold of his armor. "I'm sorry, Lina,"   
he said quietly. "I should've said something then…when you…"  
  
She gripped his armor tightly. "Say something now," she said quietly. "Forget…forget   
before. If you have something…something you NEED to say, then say it!" Gourry said nothing,   
unable to form words. "I'd rather hear something…I wouldn't want to hear…than hear nothing at   
all," she said quietly.  
  
The swordsman stared down at her, remembering a young, brash girl he once met. That   
brash, young girl had grown into a brash young woman. He had promised to take her to Atlas City,   
and that was it. From that promise he had become her guide, her protector, and her friend.  
  
"I don't want to be your protector anymore," he told her quietly.  
  
She tensed. With his tone so serious, it could still be taken two ways.  
  
"It's…not enough anymore," he finished.  
  
(Dammit!) her mind cried. (Say something concrete! Who are you?! Xellos?!)  
  
He placed his hands on her shoulders. Chibi Xellos and Chibi Filia squeaked and moved   
out of the way. "Lina, I…"  
  
"Kiss her, you clod!" Chibi Sylphiel and Chibi Filia cried out at the same time, wiping   
their eyes with hankies.  
  
"Yareyare," Chibi Xellos said, shaking his head.  
  
"Gourry," she breathed. She found herself rising to her tiptoes as he leaned down.  
  
Chibi Filia and Chibi Sylphiel hugged themselves and squealed in delight.  
  
"Do you mind?" Lina and Gourry asked their respective shoulders.  
  
"Sorry," the two manifestations replied. A moment later, all three of the tiny guides   
disappeared in a puff of smoke.   
  
The two turned back to one another. "Ever feel like everyone's watching you?" Lina   
asked him. Gourry only nodded. The sorceress took a breath. "Well…no one's watching now…"   
Gathering all the resolve she could, she leaned up, wrapped her arms around his neck, and did   
what she did best…  
  
She acted without thinking.  
  
  
  
Zelgadis yawned and looked out the window at the moon. It was almost midnight. He put   
his cards down. "Sylphiel, it's late," he said. "And Lina wants to leave early tomorrow morning.   
We really should try to get some sleep."  
  
Sylphiel looked up from her cards and frowned. She picked up the remaining cards lying   
on their bed and put them away. He watched her move. Her normal grace seemed to be replaced   
by slow, exhausted movements. It was obvious she was tired. She stood up and replaced the   
playing cards in her pack, turning and smoothing out her purple nightgown before approaching the   
bed.  
  
As she climbed in under the covers, Zelgadis leaned over and blew out the lamp, settling in   
for a good night's sleep. He closed his eyes and tried to relax. That's when he felt it. Sylphiel   
was caressing his face.  
  
He smiled but did his best to ignore her advances. "Sylphiel," he warned. "Sleep." She   
responded by leaning over and kissing him. "Sylphiel…"  
  
She didn't say anything, but continued to kiss his lips then down to his neck. "Zelgadis   
dear," she whispered between kisses. "Just for a little while?"  
  
Something about the tone of her voice struck him as wrong. He turned to her and stopped   
her from kissing him, looking at her face. "What is it?" he asked seriously.  
  
He could still make out her silhouette in the dark, could almost see the tears in her eyes.   
"I…I don't want to sleep," she told him haltingly. "I'm…scared." He sat up in bed and waited for   
her to continue. "I know what will happen as soon as I fall asleep, Zelgadis dear. I… Can't we   
just stay up for awhile longer?"  
  
"You're exhausted," he told her. "You need to sleep."  
  
"I can't!" she cried. "How do I close my eyes when I know a nightmare is waiting for me   
on the other side!?"  
  
He took a breath, and she hugged him, searching for protection in his embrace. The   
chimera thought silently for several minutes, then spoke again. "There might be something we can   
do for tonight."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I could put you in a dreamweaver spell," he told her. She pulled away and looked at him,   
waiting for him to continue. "It's an astral spell that lets the caster control the dreams of whoever   
he's casting the spell on."  
  
"Why didn't you mention this to me before?" she asked.  
  
"Because it's not safe to use more than once or twice," he replied gruffly. "It's not   
designed to help people, Sylphiel. It's a torture spell. You put someone under a deep sleep, then   
torment them with their worst nightmares. Because of the spell, the sleeping person can't wake up   
on their own. Only the caster can snap them out of it. Too long in a dreamweaver and your astral   
pattern will start seeing the dream as reality."  
  
"I…see…"  
  
"But I can put you under tonight. Make it so you can choose and control what dream you   
experience."  
  
"Please. Do it," she begged.  
  
"We could only do it once safely," he warned her.  
  
"Please, Zelgadis dear," she said softly. "I haven't had a full night's sleep in more than a   
week. If I don't get some rest soon, I'm going to go crazy."  
  
He nodded. "Lie back," he ordered her. The priestess laid back, resting her head on her   
pillow. "Now remember," he reminded her quietly, "You can't wake up until I break the spell, so   
be careful about what you choose to dream about."  
  
Sylphiel nodded at him. "I know what to dream of." She smiled.  
  
Zelgadis placed his hand on her forehead and began to chant. "Floating spirits of the   
dream world, hear my call…"   
  
The shrine maiden closed her eyes and let the soothing sound of Zelgadis' chat lull her to   
sleep. (Thank you, Zelgadis dear,) she thought as she descended into the darkness of sleep.  
  
The chimera finished his chant and opened his eyes to see Sylphiel sleeping peacefully, her   
chest rising and falling slowly. He smiled. "Sleep well, Syl chan."  
  
He climbed back under the covers and held her as she slept.  
  
  
  
It was almost five in the morning when Lina finally returned to her room. She snuck in   
quietly, afraid of waking the sleeping princess in the other bed. She reached her own soft bed,   
took a breath, then spun around and gave a soft squeal of victory, falling back and landing on her   
mattress.  
  
She sighed and giggled like a schoolgirl. Yeah, she knew she sounded ridiculous, but she   
didn't care. Most other girls her age did it daily. Tonight, she was entitled.  
  
Okay, so a lot was going to change. So what? Change was good! Change was healthy!   
And when you thought about it, it wasn't as if THAT much was going to change. She and Gourry   
were already practically living together. So what if they…kissed occasionally…  
  
Or…maybe slept in the same sleeping roll?  
  
Or…maybe…just every once in awhile…………….snuggled?  
  
…  
  
Okay, but kissing was fine!  
  
She took a deep, cleansing breath and smiled.   
  
That's when she heard it.  
  
Wheezing.  
  
She blinked and turned her head, looking over at Amelia's bed. The sound was coming   
from there. Lina stood up and tip-toed over to the young sorceress. The wheezing was loud and   
wet, a tortured sound.  
  
"Amelia?" Lina whispered. She reached out and gently pulled the covers down from over   
Amelia's face, bathing the princess' features in moonlight coming in through the window.   
  
Amelia's face was dead white. Sweat coated her face, and dark circles were under her   
eyes. Her breath came in short, wheezing gasps. Lina quickly put her hand to the girl's head, and   
her eyes went wide in shock. Amelia was practically on fire; her fever was so high.  
  
Lina quickly covered the girl up again and bit her lip. "Hold on," she whispered. "I'll go   
get Sylphiel." She wasn't sure if Amelia was conscious or not, but wanted to reassure her   
nonetheless.   
  
Without another word, Lina quickly ran out the door and down the hall to the room she   
knew Zelgadis and Sylphiel were sharing. Whatever Amelia had come down with, she needed   
more than the tiny bit of healing magic Lina knew. She needed a healer priestess like Sylphiel…  
  
And she needed one NOW.  
  
She stopped outside their door and began knocking loudly. "Sylphiel?" she called through   
the door. "Zelgadis?"  
  
The sounds of someone stirring inside floated through the oak door. After a few moments,   
Zelgadis opened the door, sleepily rubbing his eyes. "Lina? What is it?"  
  
"Amelia's sick," she said, getting straight to the point. "I think there's something really   
wrong with her. I think Sylphiel should take a look at her."  
  
The chimera nodded. "Come in," he said. "I'll wake her up."  
  
Lina walked into the inn suite and blinked at the sight. She thought her pounding on the   
door and yelling would've waked the dead, and yet Sylphiel was lying on the bed, snoring   
peacefully. "Zel?" she asked.  
  
Zelgadis sat on the bed next to the priestess and touched her forehead. "She's in a   
dreamweaver spell," he explained. "It was the only way to give her a good night's sleep."  
  
She nodded and waited patiently for Zelgadis to snap Sylphiel out of it.  
  
The chimera whispered a few words, then snapped his fingers in front of Sylphiel's face.  
  
Nothing.  
  
He blinked and rechanted the spell. At the end, he snapped his fingers again.  
  
Still nothing.  
  
"What is it?" Lina asked.  
  
He shook his head. "She's not waking up."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"She's not waking up!" Zelgadis repeated in a louder voice.   
  
"She has to!" Lina cried. She rushed over to the priestess and took her by the shoulders.   
"Come on, Sylphiel! Snap out of it!"  
  
Zelgadis touched Sylphiel's forehead and closed his eyes, trying to detect her astral   
presence. He opened his eyes again. "I don't believe it."  
  
"What?!"  
  
The chimera shook his head in shock. "It's her. It's Sylphiel. It's not that she can't wake   
up…"   
  
Lina waited for him to finish. Finally, he looked up at her.  
  
"It's that she WON'T wake up…"  
  
  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Okay, borrowed a couple of things for this chapter. "You've Lost that Loving Feeling" belongs to   
the Righteous Brothers, not Gourry, believe it or not. ^_^ Also, for those of you who found that   
boxing argument strangely familiar, you're right. The argument was inspired by the barbers in   
"Coming To America."   



	11. Sister Act!? The Appearance of the Amor...

Slayers belongs to Kadokawa Shoten.  
  
JEFFREY: Wow! Things are sure getting exciting! Miss Filia has a long lost sister?!  
  
FILIA: Half sister…  
  
XELLOS: This is wonderful news, Little Dragon! Now we have someone to babysit the children!  
  
FILIA: (SIGH)  
  
  
Faces: After!  
Part 11  
Sister Act?!  
The Appearance of the Amorous Amara Ul Copt!  
  
  
  
Filia hummed happily as she washed the dishes in the basin of warm water. Pulling a   
soaked plate from the water, she dried it and put it down on the rack next to the sink. Before she   
could return to her job, she heard crying from upstairs. She blinked and looked up at the ceiling   
before drying her hands on her apron.  
  
"Xel chan," she called out. "Junior's crying."  
  
"Filia chan!" she heard the Mazoku's voice call back excitedly. "Come quick! Junior just   
said his first words!"  
  
The golden dragon gasped in shock and practically flew up the stairs. Turning a corner,   
she dashed into the nursery where Xellos was waiting, leaning over a large bassinet. She rushed   
up to him and looked down at the little, purple-haired, squinted-eyed, golden dragon smiling up at   
her from its pillow.   
  
"Go ahead, Junior," Xellos prompted. "Tell Mommy your first words."  
  
"Yes!" Filia urged excitedly. "Go on…"  
  
The baby dragon smiled in a way eerily reminiscent of its father. "That…is a secret."  
  
  
  
"AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU  
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU  
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU  
UUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG  
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG  
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH  
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH  
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Filia screamed as she sat   
bolt-upright in bed, her hands going to her sweat-coated face, her eyes wide as dinner plates.   
  
Filia gasped, nearly hyperventilating in panic. She looked around herself and found that   
she was in the same inn room she had fallen asleep in. A dream. It was just a dream…  
  
"Oh, thank you, Great Fire Dragon King," she whispered. "Thank you for making it just a   
dream…"  
  
The dragon fell back against her pillow and tried to calm down. That's when she heard it.  
  
Someone tapping on her chamber door…  
  
Filia growled. (Xellos…It's got to be Xellos…) She reached under her bed and pulled   
out her mace. She'd make him pay for that little nightmare…Oh yes…he will PAY!  
  
She hopped out of bed and approached her door silently. The tapping repeated itself. She   
lifted the mace over her head and smiled. "Come in!" she sang happily.  
  
The door exploded inwards! Filia gasped. She wasn't expecting an attack! Turning away   
to shield her eyes from the flying wood and debris, she didn't see the blur of yellow flying towards   
her until it was too late!  
  
"FILIA!!!!"  
  
"What the…"  
  
*KA-POW!!!*  
  
The dragon hit the ground hard, losing hold of her mace. She looked up and readied a laser   
breath spell, but stopped as the smoke began to clear. Blinking, she noticed that her assailant had   
golden hair, not purple, and that she was smiling down at her. Recognition struck her a second   
later.  
  
"A…Amara?!"  
  
The blonde woman, looking almost exactly like Filia, smiled down at her. "Hi, Filia! Bet   
you didn't expect to see me, huh?!" She winked.  
  
The back of Filia's head hit the wood floor with a dull thump as she began to cry.  
  
  
  
Birds singing. The sun shining. Smiling children walking down the street, laughing and   
playing happily…  
  
"What a miserable day," Xellos commented to himself as he looked out at the small town   
from his perch on the inn's roof. They're latest stop had brought them back to Namor, an   
obnoxiously happy little hamlet not far from Lake Town. Quite frankly, all the good cheer and   
sunshine was beginning to depress him. He thought about taking his harmonica out and playing for   
a bit to depress the humans in the street, but sighed and decided against it.   
  
Besides, now that HE had shown up, he wasn't going to have time…  
  
"You were supposed to be in Seyruun three days ago!" he heard the accusing voice from   
behind him.   
  
Xellos sighed and turned, immediately looking downward at the small, black and white   
housecat sitting not far away. "Callisto! It's been such a long time!"  
  
"Spare me!" Callisto bit out. "You had orders to be in Seyruun. This isn't Seyruun! Now   
what do you think you're doing?!"  
  
Xellos' eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't forget who you are addressing, Callisto…"  
  
"I haven't forgotten," the cat bit back. "My tone is no harsher than Her Ladyship's was   
when she heard that you were off-mission."  
  
"Beastmaster Metallium has granted me a special leave to…"  
  
"As long as your…eccentricity…didn't interfere with your assignments!" Callisto railed   
at him.   
  
Xellos turned away from him and said nothing.  
  
Callisto sighed. "Xellos, I don't think you understand the full implications of the events   
occurring back home," he tried calmly. "Lord Beastmaster is…concerned. Your recent behavior   
is starting to make her wonder if you're as capable of being her priest as you were a thousand   
years ago."  
  
"What?!" Xellos demanded, turning to face the cat.  
  
"It's true!" Callisto told him. "She's beginning to think that you've spent too much time   
with these mundanes! First Lina Inverse, then you're inability to recover the Zarak trees, which, I   
might add, has set back our operations for at least a hundred years, and now this fixation with this   
dragon…"  
  
"Who I choose as a mate is my own concern, and my concern alone," Xellos growled.  
  
"Then for Lord Ruby Eyes' sake!" Callisto hissed at him. "Breed the dragon bitch and be   
done with it! Before it costs you something REALLY important!"  
  
Xellos stared coldly down at him. "Orders," he demanded.  
  
Callisto shook his head and muttered something. A small, brown envelope appeared in his   
teeth. Xellos reached down and snatched it from him, opening it and reading whatever assignment   
Metallium wanted him to perform.  
  
He sighed and read the orders out loud. "'Attack and destroy designated target unless   
recalled by positive control contact.' Awfully dry, isn't it?"  
  
"I told you she was disappointed in you," Callisto reminded him. "Look, Xellos," he said   
quietly. "Things aren't the way they were a thousand years ago. You should see some of these   
new up and comers on Wolfpack Island. All ambition and teeth. No subtlety whatsoever. It's a   
very different astral plane. And unless old timers such as you and I stay on top of things, we're   
going to find ourselves replaced by Mazoku we wouldn't trust to hold our staffs for us."  
  
Xellos sighed. "You don't understand what it's like, Callisto," he whispered.   
"Peak…Peak is like nothing I thought it would be. It's very…uncomfortable."  
  
Callisto nodded. "Just be careful, my friend. And for shit's sake, try not to piss off the   
Beastmaster any more than you already have!"  
  
"Thank you for your concern, Callisto."  
  
"The prayers of Lord Ruby Eyes be with you, my friend." With that, the housecat   
disappeared.  
  
Xellos sighed.  
  
  
  
"SISTER?!"  
  
Filia nodded as the others, minus Xellos, stared at her and the young blonde girl sitting   
across the table from them.   
  
"I thought you said you were the last of the Fire Dragon Clan," Naga pointed out.  
  
"I am…technically," Filia admitted. They continued to stare in puzzlement. "Amara here   
isn't a part of the Fire Dragon Clan," the dragon explained.  
  
"She's not?" Shadow Lina asked.  
  
"Nope!" Amara said proudly. "I belong to the Amalgamationists!"  
  
"'Amalgamationists?'" Jeffrey asked.  
  
Filia rubbed her temples. "It's this cult that…"  
  
"We are NOT a cult," Amara bit out. "We're a religious sect that just happens to disagree   
with YOURS."  
  
"Whatever, all right?!" Filia snapped back.   
  
"Hmmph!" was Amara's only answer.   
  
"So what brings you here?" Naga inquired while attacking her ample breakfast.  
  
"To see Filia chan, of course!" Amara told her brightly. "When I heard what had   
happened to the Fire Dragon Clan, I was afraid that she had…that she had… But then I found out   
she wasn't! So I came to see her! Then I found out about baby Val from the Kataart Dragons!"   
She turned to her sister. "So I'm here to help out in any way I can, Filia chan!"  
  
"That's…wonderful," Filia sighed, rubbing her temples again.  
  
Without warning, Xellos materialized in an empty chair next to Filia. "Good morning,   
Filia chan!" he cried happily. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to wake you up this morning, but I'm   
afraid…" He saw Amara, then looked back at Filia. "Filia chan, if you think making a copii of   
yourself to use as a decoy is going to work, then you are…"  
  
"SHE IS NOT A COPII, NAMAGOMI!!" Filia cried, swinging her mace. "This is my   
half-sister, Amara."  
  
Xellos smiled. "I wasn't aware you had a sister, Filia chan." He looked over at Amara,   
who was staring back at him. "I'm Xellos. The Mysterious Priest."  
  
"A…A…A…Amara…Lord Xellos," Amara whispered.  
  
Filia blinked and looked at Amara. "'LORD' Xellos?" she asked.  
  
"It…It's a great honor, Lord Xellos," Amara said, blushing.  
  
The Mazoku actually blinked in surprise. "It is?"  
  
"Yes!" Amara said quickly. "I…" Before she could finish, Filia had grabbed her arm and   
was dragging her upstairs.   
  
"Well…What a delightful young lady," Xellos commented.  
  
Shadow Lina and Jeffrey nodded. Naga was hmm'ing in thought.   
  
"Miss Naga, I'm going to go for a walk, okay?" Shadow Lina announced, rising to her feet.  
  
"I'll go with you," Jeffrey offered, likewise standing.   
  
Smiling, the two left the inn. Naga was still thinking. Xellos sat back in his chair and   
thought about his orders. He hated the fact that he would have to leave Filia chan for awhile, but it   
was only for a day at most.   
  
He'd just have to make it through.  
  
  
  
"What the hell was that?!" Filia demanded as she closed her door and locked it. She   
turned back to her sister, who was sitting in the edge of the dragon's bed, staring off into space.   
  
"That was really him, wasn't it?" Amara asked in a whisper. "Beastmaster   
Xellos…Lephisly…the Dark One himself…wasn't it?"  
  
"Yes," Filia said with a sigh. "It was really him. He's a horrible, disgusting creature,   
Amara. A thing with no conscience. Evil in it's purest form. You must stay away from him,   
Amara!"  
  
Amara was silent for several moments. Then, at last, she said something.  
  
"I want him."  
  
It took a minute for this phrase to sink into Filia's mind. When it did…  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"Don't tell me you didn't feel it, Filia!" Amara cried, standing up. "You must have felt   
it…The raw power emanating from him like a barely suppressed torrent! A walking tempest of   
power!"  
  
Filia blinked in shock. "What are you talking about!?"  
  
Amara blushed. "Filia…Honestly…You don't find him…"  
  
"What?"  
  
"So you and he aren't…"  
  
"AREN'T WHAT?! MAKE SENSE!!"  
  
"Hmmph!" Amara sniffed. "You ARE a woman, aren't you!?"  
  
"So?!"  
  
"'So?!'" the dragon's sister repeated. "Are you dense, Filia!? You don't see   
how…how…HOW UTTERLY GORGEOUS HE IS?!"  
  
Filia hit the floor. Standing up again she squared off with her sister angrily. "How can you   
find that monster namagomi attractive!?"  
  
"How CAN'T I?!" Amara shot back. "That purple hair…that smile…that sense of mystery   
and power…" She closed her eyes and shivered. "Just the thought of being with such a powerful   
man sends jolts of electricity down my tail!" As if answering a cue, Amara's golden tail, complete   
with a bright purple bow, appeared from under her simple, red dress.  
  
"HE'S A MAZOKU!!" Filia screamed.  
  
"Hmmph!" Amara sniffed again. "That means nothing to an Amalgamationist and you   
know it!" She stuck her tongue out at Filia. "If anything, it's a plus!"  
  
"AMARA!"  
  
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go back downstairs, have my breakfast, and speak   
with Lord Xellos…" She walked out the door.  
  
Filia growled and turned, rushing after her sister. "Oh no you're not! I'm not going to let   
you make ANOTHER stupid decision like before!" She reached out and grabbed hold of the   
dragon's tail.  
  
"Ack! Filia! Let go of my tail!" Amara tugged against the dragon, trying to free herself.   
  
Filia strained, pulling her sister's tail as hard as she could in an effort to forcibly drag her   
back into her room. "No! Not until you grow up a little!"  
  
"I'm older than you are, Filia!"  
  
"Prove it! Stay away from Xellos and don't do anything stupid!"  
  
"It's not stupid! They're my beliefs! Mazoku are not evil! They're just different! You and   
the other Fire Dragons are just too prejudiced and racist to believe it!"  
  
Filia grit her teeth and gave another sharp pull. She managed to gain a yard. Then Amara   
dug in her heels and started to pull back. Filia soon found her gained yard gone. "I've seen him in   
action, Amara! He only acts in his own best interests!"  
  
"Who doesn't?!" Amara shot back, pulling harder.  
  
  
  
Walking near the inn, just below the window near which Filia and Amara were "talking,"   
Shadow Lina and Jeffrey blinked upwards at the sounds of angry dragons.   
  
"It sure is great that Miss Filia's sister came to help her, isn't it?" Shadow Lina asked   
with a bright smile.  
  
Jeffrey smiled in return and nodded. "Yeah. Miss Filia is nice, but she always seems…I   
don't know…lonely…"  
  
"I know. I think that's why Mister Xellos is always trying to make her smile."  
  
Jeffrey nodded.  
  
Unaware of its presence, the two continued to chat as a black and white housecat stared at   
them in surprise from the corner of the inn. Callisto simply blinked and did the math in his head.   
  
(How did…How can…) He shook his feline head. "How did she get here so fast?!" he   
asked out loud. Gritting his teeth he growled. "Great…Scarrin's going to throw a hissy fit   
now…" He sighed. "Well, if it didn't work last time, it had better this time." He put on his 'cute   
little me' face and walked up to the two.   
  
Shadow Lina caught sight of him first, and her eyes exploded in stars.   
"AWWWWWWWW!!!! It's a cute little kitty cat!!!"  
  
Callisto meowed and smiled up at the red head. (Okay, I'll just scratch her like I did the   
other girl, and maybe THIS time it'll work. It's a good thing I came here to talk to Xellos…)  
  
Shadow Lina reached down and picked up the cat, scratching him behind his ears. Callisto   
purred and snuggled with the sorceress for a few moments. Then…  
  
"Owie!"   
  
The shadow dropped the cat and looked at the small scratch on her hand. Callisto ran off.   
Shadow Lina's eyes began to tear up.  
  
"Miss Lina?" Jeffrey asked. "What's wrong?"  
  
Shadow Lina sniffled. "M..M…Mister Kitty scratched me!" she cried. "IT HURTS! IT   
HURTS! IT HURTS!" she wailed, tears running down her face.  
  
"Oh! Here! Don't cry!" Jeffrey begged. He reached up to his collar and removed a short,   
red scarf he wore as part of his Flaming Heroes uniform. He took Shadow Lina's hand and began   
to wrap the silk scarf around the wound. Shadow Lina watched him do this and sniffled   
pathetically. "There! All better!" He smiled at her.  
  
She sniffled again. "Lord Jeffrey…Would you…Would you…"  
  
"Would I what?" he asked.  
  
Shadow Lina looked away and blushed. "Would you kiss it and make it better? Luna   
Oneechan would do that…and it would go away…"  
  
Jeffrey turned bright red. "Um…Sure…" He brought the girl's hand up to his lips and   
kissed her knuckle where the cat had scratched her. "How's that?"  
  
Shadow Lina grinned and giggled. "Thank you, Lord Jeffrey!"  
  
"You're welcome! Hey! We'd better get back! Miss Naga might be looking for us!"   
  
"Okay!" She watched as Jeffrey turned and started for the inn's entrance. She took a few   
steps after him and heard a loud *THOCK!* behind her. Turning, she found a large war-pike   
embedded in the wall where she had been standing. Blinking, she turned and saw a large woman,   
her faced covered in a mask, glaring at her from across the courtyard.   
  
Shadow Lina and Josephine's eyes locked. Josephine's narrowed dangerously.  
  
The shadow eep'd and ran after Jeffrey.  
  
  
  
Amara took another step down the stairs, dragging her sister with her.   
  
"Amara!" Filia grunted, pulling on her sister's tail with all her might. "Stop this! It's   
madness!"  
  
"It is NOT madness!" Amara huffed back, straining as she pulled Filia down another step.   
"What is so wrong with making a good impression?!"  
  
"I can't believe you!" Filia cried, continuing to pull. "You've studied the Mazoku! You   
above all others should know what he's like! What he's done to our people!"  
  
"AND WE DID THE EXACT SAME THING TO THE ANCIENT DRAGONS! ARE   
*YOU* EVIL, FILIA?!"  
  
Shocked at hearing such a thing, Filia released Amara, who cried out and went tumbling   
down the stairs. The dragon stared down at Amara in surprise. "How…How did you know   
about…"  
  
Amara picked herself up and dusted herself off. She hmmph'd and looked up at Filia, her   
hands on her hips. "WE have always known," she commented casually. "The Amalgamationist   
Movement, unlike certain dragon clans, realizes that EVERYONE is capable of evil acts. People   
like YOU just blame the Mazoku because they're more open about it. You use them as a   
scapegoat…"  
  
"No I don't! They ARE evil!"  
  
"Hmmph!" Amara sniffed. "And that makes us…what? Saintly? Pure? Innocent?"  
  
"N..no…" Filia said guiltily.   
  
"Glad you agree! Now I'm going to go make a good impression on Lord Xellos!" She   
started for the restaurant.  
  
"Amara! Get back here!" Filia cried, chasing her down the stairs.  
  
  
  
"Eventful day, ne?" Xellos asked.  
  
Naga was still thinking. "Two golden dragons…and me…If I wanted to…" She grinned   
evilly. "I could take over the world…"  
  
"Oh?" the priest asked innocently. He could hear the sound of bickering dragons from not   
far away. "And do you think they'd agree to help you?"  
  
"OOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!" Naga laughed. "Silly Side-Kick of   
Questionable Worth! I didn't say I was GOING to take over the world, just that I could if I really   
wanted to! I'd find some way to convince them…deal with them… After all, I managed to get   
Filia to come with me."  
  
"Yes, a stroke of genius on your part," Xellos complimented her.  
  
"Exactly! Really, Side-Kick, if you're going to make it in this world and accomplish your   
goals, you're going to have to learn how to manipulate people."  
  
Xellos sweatdropped. "I…I'll work on it…" he promised.  
  
"See that you do! I'll simply have to teach you! Manipulating people is an art, but it's not   
too difficult. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it one day…" She smiled reassuringly.  
  
"Um…Thank you…Miss Naga," Xellos muttered.  
  
"Amara! What do you think you're…"  
  
Before Filia could finish her question, Amara Ul Copt was standing next to Xellos and   
Naga's table, her hands behind her back. She had a grim look of determination on her face.   
  
"Um…Is something wrong, Miss Amara?" Xellos asked.  
  
With a cry, Amara slammed her palm onto the table in front of Xellos, her fingers spread   
out. She pulled her other hand out from behind her back, revealing a large wooden mallet   
clenched tightly in her fingers. With a cry she brought the hammer down, smashing one of her   
fingers.  
  
"AIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!" she screamed, clutching her hand. "ITAI! ITAI!   
ITAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!"   
  
Filia and Naga stared and sweatdropped. "Um…What was the point of that?" Filia   
muttered. Naga only shook her head.  
  
Xellos, however, suddenly brightened. "Oh, my dear dragon!" he cried in mock concern.   
He stood up and circled the table until he was standing next to Amara. "How awful," he clucked.   
Taking her hand, he examined her finger. Amara sniffled and whimpered. Xellos gently took the   
wounded finger between his thumb and forefinger and smiled, giving it a little squeeze…on   
"accident," of course…  
  
"ITAI!!" Amara cried out. "It hurts! It hurts!"  
  
"Awww…You poor thing," Xellos clucked.  
  
Filia stared wide-eyed in shock at the display. "What the…Why the…Who the…"  
  
Naga smiled and nodded, finally getting it. "I see! Mazoku feed off negative emotions like   
pain and distress!" She put her finger to her lip. "If that's true…I guess Xellos would be doing   
the equivalent of feeling your sister up…"  
  
Filia grit her teeth and lunged forward, her mace in her hand! She growled and swung at   
Xellos, who just managed to disappear in time. He reappeared in his chair.   
  
"STOP FEEDING OFF MY SISTER'S PAIN, YOU PERVERT NAMAGOMI!!!" Filia   
screamed at him.  
  
"I was just seeing if she was all right, Filia chan," he said with a grin. He took a sip of tea   
and felt Filia seethe nearby. He decided it was too good to pass up and pushed her just a tad   
farther. "Jealous?" he asked.  
  
Filia growled and grabbed her sister's hand. Amara squealed in pain. "You shut up!" she   
ordered the dragon. She began chanting a healing spell.   
  
"I think you ARE!" Xellos said suddenly.   
  
"I AM NOT!!"  
  
The trickster priest pouted. "Awww…You know…if YOU did that kind of thing for me, I   
wouldn't have to go looking for other dragons to do it…"  
  
"DO YOU SEE?!" she screamed at Amara. "DO YOU SEE HOW HE IS?!"  
  
Amara giggled. "Lighten up, Filia! I think he has a wonderful sense of humor!"  
  
"YOU WOULD!"  
  
"Why thank you, Miss Amara," Xellos replied. "And thank you for the wonderful gesture.   
I enjoyed it immensely."  
  
Amara broke away from her sister and stepped toward him. "If you like…we can…"  
  
"NO YOU WILL NOT!" Filia screamed, placing herself between them. She turned to her   
sister angrily. "How could you?! Knowing what he is! How can you be so casual about this!?"  
  
"Why not? What's the big deal?" Amara asked in mock puzzlement.  
  
"HE KILLED THOUSANDS OF OUR PEOPLE!" Filia cried.  
  
"And we killed thousands of his," Amara pointed out. "Isn't it time to put the war behind   
us? Shouldn't we reach out and try to forge a future with our Mazoku brothers? To stand up, hand   
in hand, dragon and monster, and say 'NO! WE SHALL NO LONGER HATE!?'" She posed   
dramatically in a way that would make Amelia clap her hands in glee.  
  
Filia and Xellos both sweatdropped at this.   
  
"Um…Filia chan?" Xellos whispered. "Is she…for real?"  
  
"You have no idea…" Filia muttered back. She turned her attention back to Amara.   
"WOULD YOU GROW UP?!" she cried. "That's just more Amalgamationist brain-washing!   
Dragons and Mazoku have always hated one another for a REASON!"  
  
"Which is?!" Amara demanded.  
  
Filia opened her mouth, but no sound emerged. She stood there, thinking frantically.   
"Well, they….And we….But they…" Everyone's eyes were on her as she tried to think of a   
reason. "BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL MEAN!" she finally cried.  
  
"Well, she's got us there," Xellos admitted with a shrug.  
  
"Hmmph!" Amara sniffed triumphantly. "The truth is that dragons and monsters have been   
fighting for so long, they don't even remember WHY! The Amalgamationists think that it's time to   
put that kind of petty fighting behind us! It's part of the reason I'm here, actually…"  
  
"What do you mean?" Filia asked, her eyes narrowing.  
  
"When the elder of our sect found out that I intended to seek you out, he gave me a special   
task! He knew that you traveled with Lina Inverse, and that she often came across Mazoku. In the   
event that I met one, he asked me take on a most solemn mission, and I accepted it whole-  
heartedly!"  
  
"And that is?" Naga asked.  
  
Amara closed her eyes in rapture and clasped her hands together. "To offer myself to them   
in marriage and bring our two peoples together in a joyous union!"  
  
Three…  
  
Two…  
  
One…  
  
  
  
Shadow Lina turned the knob for the inn door just as the roof was blown off in a   
tremendous internal explosion! The concussion knocked both her and Jeffrey off their feet and into   
the dirt. People all around them were running about fearfully, trying to put the flames out.   
  
In a flash of darkness, Xellos appeared next to them. He looked up at the burning inn and   
nodded in approval. "Such passion!"  
  
  
  
Greysword pulled her canteen from her belt and dumped the contents over her head. It was   
hot in this part of the continent this time of the year. The water splashed over her head and down   
her body, cooling her off.  
  
"Hey! Have a little consideration!" she heard someone cry from her feet. She looked   
down and saw Callisto, soaked by the water dripping off her body, glaring up at her.   
  
"Oh, it's you," Greysword remarked.  
  
"'You,'" Callisto repeated with a sigh. "A thousand years ago the sight of me at your feet   
would have sent you running, screaming in terror…Now I'm 'Oh, it's you.'" He shook his feline   
head.   
  
"What's the problem?" she asked, getting irritated.  
  
"No problem," the cat remarked. "Except you're moving in the wrong direction."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Callisto pointed a furry paw back in the direction from which they had come. "I was just   
in Namor. Lina Inverse is there."  
  
"What?!"  
  
Scarrin pushed his way forward. "Callisto? What's this all about?"  
  
"You're moving in the wrong direction," Callisto repeated. "Somehow, Lina Inverse got   
past you and is back in Namor."  
  
"You're kidding…" Greysword muttered. "How could she…"  
  
"It makes no difference how," Scarrin broke in. "We must hedge our bets. Greysword, go   
back to Namor and investigate this claim. I want to know if Lina Inverse is there. If she is, keep   
out of sight and watch them."  
  
She nodded and started back down the line of marching berserkers toward Namor.   
  
(Finally…I get to handle this my way…)  
  
  
  
*THUD!…THUD!…THUD!…*  
  
Amara sighed as Filia's head hit the table again. "Filia! Would you cut that out!? It's   
unseemly!"  
  
The dragon's head hit the table again and stayed there. It hadn't taken too long to find a   
new inn, even though the owner was charging them triple as "Dragon Insurance."   
  
Filia started to growl from her position at the table. Amara decided to ignore her. Instead,   
she turned to Xellos. "So you see, Lord Xellos, in accordance with the wishes of the   
Amalgamationist Elder, I am hereby offering myself to you in holy matrimony!"  
  
"You…want to MARRY me?" Xellos asked, still unable to believe what he was hearing.  
  
"Yes!" Amara cried. "For great justice! I shall…"  
  
"You….shall….NOT!!" Filia screamed, rising to feet. "I FORBID IT!"  
  
The older dragon looked at her sister, her eyes narrowing. "And…just who are YOU to   
forbid ME from doing ANYTHING?" Amara asked. "I'M the elder sister, Filia."  
  
"You…You can't…" Filia whispered hauntingly.   
  
"I'm afraid Filia chan is right, Miss Amara," Xellos told her.  
  
"Wh…WHAT?!" Amara cried in distress. "But why?! Lord Xellos, please! Don't allow   
the narrow-mindedness of the other golden dragons destroy this one chance for peace in our   
lifetimes! I beg of you!" She fell to her knees before Xellos and grabbed his leg.  
  
Xellos smiled. "You misunderstand me, Miss Amara. I have nothing against you or   
dragons…for the most part. You just can't marry ME." Amara looked up at him and blinked in   
confusion. "You see," the Mazoku elaborated, grabbing hold of Filia and pulling her into his lap.   
"I'm engaged to Filia chan!"  
  
"WHAT?!" Amara cried.  
  
"WHAT?!" Filia cried a second later. She began to struggle and reach for her mace, but   
Xellos wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly.  
  
"Yes, we're very excited about it," Xellos continued as Filia struggled. "Aren't we, Little   
Dragon?" he asked her, bouncing Filia in his lap.  
  
Filia grimaced and opened her mouth to yell at Xellos when she saw Amara staring up at   
them. She smiled evilly and glomped onto the priest, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Oh,   
yes, darling! Isn't it wonderful!?"  
  
"Um…" Xellos replied with a sweatdrop.   
  
"Life is just so wonderful, isn't it?!" Filia gushed. Xellos shuddered and started to turn   
pale. "I mean, now that we're a couple, our lives will be happy and wonderful FOREVER!"  
  
Xellos started shaking.  
  
Amara squealed in delight. "Oh, Filia! I'm so happy for you!" She shot up and hugged the   
dragon.   
  
The priest, meanwhile, wiped his brow with a handkerchief. "I'm suddenly not feeling   
well…"  
  
"Me too," Shadow Lina suddenly complained from the other side of the table.   
  
Sitting next to her, Jeffrey blinked in concern. "Miss Lina? Are you okay?"  
  
"I think I'm coming down with something." Naga put a hand on Shadow Lina's forehead   
and hmmm'd.  
  
"You've got a fever," she noted.  
  
"This has been such a bad day," the red head pouted. "First Mister Kitty scratches me,   
then some tourist chucks a spear at me, then our inn explodes…"  
  
Xellos arched an eyebrow. "Mister Kitty?" he asked.  
  
The shadow nodded. "This kitty cat scratched me on the hand today."  
  
"May I see it?" he asked.   
  
Shadow Lina nodded and walked up to him, removing the make-shift bandage from her   
hand. She offered the Mazoku her hand and looked away, clenching her eyes shut and squealing in   
anticipation of horrible pain.  
  
Xellos looked over the scratch. Filia examined it as well, considering she was still   
trapped in the priest's lap. "This is festering!" the dragon cried.   
  
"Is that bad?!" Shadow Lina cried. "It sounds bad! Really bad!"  
  
"Callisto, what are you up to?" Xellos whispered. Filia only looked at him and blinked.  
  
"Xellos? Do you…"  
  
"Ah! Well, I'm sure Filia chan could heal it right up, couldn't you, Filia chan?" he asked.  
  
"Um…Yes, of course…"  
  
"Good." Suddenly, the Mazoku stood up, and Filia fell from his lap onto the floor. "Now,   
I hate to have to do this, but there's a small something I have to take care of. Ta ta." With that, he   
vanished.   
  
The golden dragon stood up rubbing her rump and growled.   
  
"Don't be mad, Filia," Amara said with a smile. "He IS a government employee, after   
all."  
  
Filia just shook her head and started to chant a healing spell on Shadow Lina's hand.   
"Now, once I'm done I want you to go up to your room and rest, okay?" The shadow nodded   
pitifully.   
  
"If you want, I'll stay with you for a bit," Jeffrey offered.  
  
Shadow Lina's eyes lit up. "Would you, Lord Jeffrey? I think I'd really li…"  
  
*CRASH!*  
  
They all stared in shock at the chandelier that just crashed onto their table.   
  
"Is everyone okay?!" Jeffrey asked.  
  
Shadow Lina coughed from the dust cloud that was created from the impact. "Yeah," she   
said. She looked up at where the chandelier had once hung. It appeared that the rope holding it up   
had snapped. Her eyes followed the path of the line over the pulley and down to the point in the   
wall where it would've been tied.  
  
Josephine stood there, a kitchen knife in her hand. She glared at Shadow Lina.  
  
The shadow eep'd and ducked behind Filia. "Over there!" She pointed.  
  
The others turned to look, but Josephine was gone.  
  
"What?" Naga asked. "I don't see anything."  
  
"I…I…" Shadow Lina started to cry.  
  
"You poor thing," Filia said sympathetically. "Come on. Let's get you to bed."  
  
"Yeah, come on," Jeffrey said, offering the shadow his hand.  
  
"That's okay!" Shadow Lina cried, shying away from Jeffrey. "Um…I…I need to talk to   
Miss Naga alone…About……stuff…"  
  
Jeffrey blinked. His face fell. "Oh," he muttered.   
  
Shadow Lina grabbed Naga's hand and started dragging her up the stairs.  
  
"Such an odd girl," Amara noted.  
  
Filia rolled her eyes. "You should've seen the original…"  
  
  
  
He appeared in the palace and sighed. He'd only been gone for a few minutes, and already   
his blood was beginning to boil, urging him to return to Filia's side. The fact that he could no   
longer sense her, no longer smell her pheromones or hear her pulse had the oddest effect on him.   
He felt…empty…alone…  
  
Not only that, but his Peak-effected mind began to make up excuses for him to scrub this   
mission and rush back to her. Images of another male approaching Filia and smiling at her…  
  
Maybe even that damn Jeffrey boy…  
  
He made a mental note to fry Jeffrey as soon as he got back! How dare he believe that he   
could attempt to steal Filia chan away from him!? FROM HIM!?   
  
The priest grit his teeth and tried desperately to keep his mind on the mission, a mission he   
would find difficult enough without thoughts of Filia getting in the way. He started quietly down   
the hallway.   
  
(YOU'VE BEEN GONE MORE THAN FIVE MINUTES! WHAT IF SHE'S IN   
TROUBLE?!)  
  
He stopped in his tracks and grit his teeth again. Filia chan was NOT in trouble. She was   
perfectly fine. He started forward again.  
  
He started to wonder how he would explain this to them…to her. Amelia was their friend,   
and while he wouldn't go quite as far when explaining HIS relationship to her, he did admit he   
found the spirited young woman an endless source of amusement.   
  
Xellos thought about his orders again. ("Attack and destroy designated target unless   
recalled by positive control contact.") the letter had read. Underneath, a further explanation had   
been written. ("The Princess of Seyruun has returned to her kingdom. Steps taken by the Royal   
Government to tighten security against further Mazoku interference constitute a risk to future   
operations. Princess of Seyruun said to be an architect of these measures. Eliminate the threat.")  
  
He sighed. So Amelia had learned a lesson from her cousin Alfred's activities and was   
trying to see to it that the Mazoku could never interfere in Seyruun again…  
  
That was stupid, even for her.  
  
He turned a corner and walked right up to the chambers of the crown princess. He knocked   
politely then gathered a ball of energy into his hand. A second later, the door opened…  
  
Xellos blinked in shock. The ball of energy dissipated.  
  
"You're not Amelia…"  
  
  
  
"So what is it that you need to talk about?" Naga asked Shadow Lina as they entered her   
room.   
  
The shadow climbed into bed and pulled the covers over herself. "Miss Naga…When you   
like a guy…and…someone else likes that guy…Does that someone else ever…you know…throw   
spears at you?"  
  
Naga nodded "Oh, yeah, sure."  
  
Shadow Lina whimpered.   
  
"What's the matter?" Naga asked.   
  
"I think that tourist lady who's always following around Lord Jeffrey likes him," the   
shadow explained pitifully. "I think…I think she's trying to kill me…"  
  
"Oh, don't worry about her! I can assure you right now that that tourist lady isn't after   
Jeffrey at all!" Naga assured her with a dismissive wave. "She's just a little…overprotective of   
him."  
  
"Oh," Shadow Lina said. "Thank you, Miss Naga."  
  
The White Serpent mussed Shadow Lina's hair. "Do you want anything before you go to   
sleep?"  
  
"Well…" the shadow began awkwardly. "When I was little…and sick…Luna Oneechan   
would read me a story."  
  
"Story, huh?" Naga commented. "Well…"  
  
"Please, Miss Naga!?" Shadow Lina begged. "It's scary being alone and sick! Please!?"  
  
"Okay," the sorceress sighed in defeat. "What kind of story do you want?"  
  
Shadow Lina pointed at her pack. "My book is in there. I haven't read it yet."  
  
"Okay, okay," Naga muttered, rummaging through the pack. She pulled the book out and   
sat down next to the shadow's bed. She squinted at the title. "What is this book called?"  
  
"Claire Bears," Shadow Lina supplied.  
  
"Claire Be…" Naga's eyes went wide. She flipped hurriedly through the pages.  
  
"Miss Naga? Is something wrong?" the redhead asked.  
  
The White Serpent was close to hyperventilating now. She began to laugh maniacally.  
  
"OOOOOOOOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!"  
  
"Miss Naga?" Shadow Lina started to cringe away.  
  
Naga continued to read through the book, her eyes soaking up the ancient texts. She   
laughed again and began to bounce up and down in glee.  
  
"You like Claire Bears too?" Shadow Lina asked in confusion.  
  
"THIS ISN'T CLAIRE BEARS, YOU NINNY!!!" Naga cried.  
  
"It's not?"   
  
"No! OOOOHOHOHOHOHO!!!" Naga laughed again. "Do you realize what this is?   
How valuable it is?!" Shadow Lina shook her head.   
  
"I thought it was a shoujo manga…"  
  
"IT'S NOT A MANGA!!" Naga screamed.   
  
Shadow Lina just stared.  
  
"It's a piece of the Claire Bible!"  
  
  
  
To Be Continued…  



	12. Wake Up! That Daydream Believer!

Slayers is the property of Kadokawa Shoten.  
  
Faces: After!  
Part 12  
Wake Up!  
That Daydream Believer!  
  
  
  
  
"Come on, Sylphiel! Wake up!" Lina cried, shaking the shrine maiden roughly.   
Sylphiel didn't budge. The redhead growled, reached back, and slapped her across the   
face with a resounding *CRACK!*  
  
Nothing.  
  
"Forget it, Lina," Zelgadis told her. "You're not going to snap her out of it that   
way."  
  
"Well we have to do SOMETHING!" she growled at him. "Amelia needs her!   
We can't just wait for her to come out of it on her own!"  
  
"I know."  
  
"Why did you put her in a spell like that to begin with!? You know how dangerous   
they can be!"  
  
The chimera turned to her, scowling. He walked over to Sylphiel, but didn't reply   
to Lina's demand. He didn't feel he had to. Zelgadis knew why he put Sylphiel under, and   
he wasn't about to try to justify that to Lina, especially while she was like this.  
  
"Are you going to stand there and whine," he asked, "Or are you going to help me   
snap her out of this?"  
  
Lina's eyes narrowed. "What do you want me to do?"  
  
"She's dreaming on the astral plane. I can send you in there after her."  
  
"Why don't you go?" she asked in confusion.  
  
"If Amelia were up to casting and maintaining the spell, I would, but without her   
I'm the only one with that kind of control over astral magic." He took a seat next to the bed   
and began preparing himself. "It's either you or Gourry."  
  
"Fine. What do I do?"  
  
"Lie down," he ordered her.  
  
Lina nodded and circled around to the other side of the bed, lying down next to   
Sylphiel.  
  
"Now take her hand. I'm going to put you under like I did her, only this time I'm   
going to link your astral patterns together. You'll be entering HER dream world."  
  
Lina took a breath. She wasn't sure about entering the dreams of a woman   
as…eccentric…as Sylphiel. She ended up nodding her consent.  
  
"I'll be monitoring you. When you're ready to come out, I'll break the spell.   
Ready?"  
  
"Okay, let's do it," Lina said. She rested her head against the pillow and closed   
her eyes as Zelgadis chanted the dreamweaver spell. The sorceress had heard of   
dreamweavers and what they were used for. She shuddered. The thought of being trapped   
in your own worst nightmares, unable to escape on your own from them, terrified her. An   
image of Luna wearing a hockey mask and carrying a bamboo stick entered her mind.  
  
No thank you…  
  
She took a breath as she listened to Zelgadis chant. Amelia just had to hang on until   
she could drag Sylphiel back to the waking world. No problem, right?  
  
The sound of Zelgadis' voice stopped.  
  
She waited, her eyes closed, but he didn't continue.  
  
"Zel?" she asked quietly.   
  
No answer.  
  
"Zel?" she tried again. She opened her eyes…  
  
The sun stared down at her from a blue sky. She blinked and turned her head. She   
was lying in a field of grass. Zelgadis, the inn, all of it…was gone.  
  
She quickly sat up and looked around. The field went on for what looked like   
miles. A tree, a few rocks, and a stream all served to break up the continuous green. She   
could see smoke in the distance, and if she squinted, she could make out a house as the   
source of that smoke.  
  
Lina suddenly tensed. She sensed something behind her… Turning quickly, she   
found three young girls, no older than six years old, staring at her. She blinked at the sight.   
The girls were identical; all wearing the same light purple dress and their bluish-purple   
hair in the exact same style, allowing it to hang down their back like Sylphiel wore hers.  
  
They continued to stare at her, their expressions blank.  
  
"Um…Hello," Lina said, putting on a nervous smile.  
  
"Hello," all three girls said at once.  
  
The sorceress stood up and brushed the grass off her. "Um…You girls live around   
here?" she asked.  
  
The triplets stared at her. Finally, one of them, the center one, spoke.   
  
"You wanna play?"  
  
Lina laughed nervously. "Actually, I have to find someone. Maybe your parents   
will play with you."  
  
"We already played with them," the triplet on the right told her.  
  
"Yes," the one on the left spoke up. "Now we want to play with YOU…"  
  
Lina stared at them. "Suuuuuuure," she said slowly. She started to turn. "Just let   
me get my…" Instead of ending the sentence, she took off running!  
  
"TAG!" the triplets cried, chasing after her!  
  
Lina squealed in fright and continued to run, the children of the damned in hot   
pursuit.  
  
"TAG! TAG! TAG!" they screamed at her as they chased her.  
  
"WHAT KIND OF CRAZY DREAM IS THIS?!" Lina cried as she ran past the   
tree. She heard a thud from behind her and turned her head. A ten year old boy with   
brown hair had jumped from the tree.  
  
"PIG!" he cried.   
  
The triplets took up this new cheer as they continued to chase her, the boy leading   
the way.   
  
"PIG! PIG! PIG!"  
  
Lina screamed louder and continued to run. She could see the house not far up   
ahead. She put on more speed.  
  
(At least they're not penguins!) she thought frantically.  
  
Yeah, small comfort…  
  
"PIG! PIG! PIG!"  
  
"STOP CHASING ME!" she screamed at them.  
  
They ignored her. She ran faster. She didn't want to use magic on them. They   
were kids! And what effect would magic have in Sylphiel's mind? Would it even work!?  
  
She hit the oak door of the house with a thud and frantically worked the latch.   
Finally, the door opened and she ducked inside, slamming it behind her! She leaned   
against the wood and took a few deep breaths.  
  
"Miss Lina?"  
  
She looked up and found Sylphiel standing next to a stove. The shrine maiden had   
apparently given up her traveling outfit in favor of a pink sundress. Her belly was slightly   
distended, just barely enough for Lina to notice. She blinked at the redhead, puzzled at her   
appearance.  
  
"Sylphiel!" Lina cried, exhausted but relieved.   
  
Sylphiel ran up to Lina and hugged her. "How are you?! And how is Gourry? Did   
he come with you?"  
  
Lina blinked at him. "Um…No. Sylphiel, what are you doing here? We've been   
trying to wake you up for an hour."  
  
The sorceress blinked at her. "Miss Lina? What are you talking about?"  
  
Lina stared at her. "I think the real question is 'what are YOU talking about?'"  
  
Sylphiel smiled. "It's so wonderful having you here to visit. The children haven't   
seen their Aunt Lina since the triplets were babies."  
  
"THOSE ARE *YOUR* HEATHENS OUT THERE?!" Lina cried.  
  
Before Sylphiel could reply to that, there was crying from upstairs. "Oh dear! You   
woke up little Naga chan…"  
  
"AND YOU NAMED ONE AFTER NAGA?!"  
  
Sylphiel wasn't listening. She was rushing up the stairs to the toddler's room. Lina   
followed quickly, still in disbelief that Sylphiel would choose to name one of her children   
NAGA.  
  
"I mean…Why Naga?!" she continued as they entered the toddler's room. "What's   
wrong with 'Lina?'"  
  
"How's my little girl?" Sylphiel said with a bright smile as she lifted a two year   
old out of her bed.   
  
"Sylphiel!? Are you listening to me!?"  
  
"No, she's not."  
  
Lina turned quickly to the sound of the voice. Standing in the bedroom doorway   
was a twelve-year-old boy with wild, brown hair in a style very similar to the one   
Zelgadis wore. "Who are you?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.  
  
"Oh, Eruk," Sylphiel said, turning to the boy, Naga chan secure in her arms.   
"Could you go get Naga chan her juice?"  
  
The boy, Eruk, smiled. "Sure thing, Mom," he told her. He started down the stairs.   
  
Lina looked back to Sylphiel and found her humming to the toddler, paying no   
attention whatsoever to the sorceress. She made a quick decision and dashed off after   
Eruk.  
  
"Hey! You!" she called out as she ran down the steps. "Who are you, anyway?"  
  
Eruk was busy filling a pink cup with orange juice. "I'm Eruk. I'm the oldest."  
  
"'Eruk?'" Lina muttered. "Sylphiel's father?"  
  
He smiled at her, a smile she REALLY didn't like. Something about it reminded   
her a little TOO much of Phibrizzo.  
  
Lina's eyes narrowed. "Okay, kid, your bullshit story is noted and logged. Now   
who are you REALLY?"  
  
Instead of answering her, Eruk started back up the stairs. Lina growled.   
  
(Okay,) she thought. (Forget him. I have to break through to Sylphiel. That's   
what's important now.) She started for the stairs again when suddenly the front door burst   
open. Lina turned quickly, anticipating an attack.  
  
She wasn't disappointed.  
  
"THERE SHE IS!" the ten year old she saw earlier cried from the doorway.  
  
"PIG! PIG! PIG!" the triplets cried.   
  
Lina screamed and ran to the back of the house! The rugrats chased after her.  
  
"STOP THE PIG!" the boy cried.  
  
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A PIG, YOU LITTLE SNOT!?" Lina screamed back   
at him over her shoulder. Her eyes went wide as she saw the triplets no longer pursuing.   
They were standing in a row, their eyes closed and their hands up. Their lips were moving   
as if…  
  
(Hel-LO! Sylphiel! One of them more powerful sorceresses you've met! Don'tcha   
think that MAYBE she's been teaching her little darlings how to…)  
  
"OH CRAP!"  
  
The triplets pointed at her. "AQUA CREATE!" they cried!  
  
*SPLASH!*  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAUUUUUGGGGHHHHH!!!!!" Lina cried as the spell drenched   
her. She sputtered. Unfortunately, the water from the spell made the floor slippery. Lina   
lost her footing and started sliding across the floor towards the wall!  
  
"I HATE THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!" she screamed.  
  
*WHAM!*  
  
She groaned and looked up as the children of the damned surrounded her. Lina was   
trapped, lying on the floor with the wall at her back and the Munchkin Patrol blocking her   
escape route.   
  
"Pig…Pig…PIG!"  
  
Lina grit her teeth. She was going to teach these little punks a lesson they'll never   
forget! They weren't children! They were Mazoku! They had to be! THEY HAD TO BE   
MONSTERS!!!  
  
"Darkness beyo…"  
  
Before she could get any further, however, she heard Sylphiel's voice call out from   
behind them.  
  
"Gourry! Lina! Amelia! Deanna!" The children all turned to see an angry   
Sylphiel glaring at them, her hands on her hips. "What did I tell you about that!?"  
  
The children hung their heads. "No spell-casting in the house," they muttered.  
  
"That's right! Now you can just march up to your rooms until dinner!" She pointed   
up the stairs, and the Munchkin Patrol started marching.  
  
Sylphiel helped Lina to her feet.  
  
"Are you all right, Miss Lina?"  
  
The redhead growled at the priestess. "Do you REALLY want SIX kids?" she   
asked.  
  
Sylphiel blushed. "Seven, actually," she said, pointing at her stomach.  
  
"I wonder if Zel knows what he's getting himself into…" Lina muttered off to the   
side.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Oh, nothing!" Lina cried. She suddenly grabbed Sylphiel by the shoulders.   
"Sylphiel, you have to come back with me. Amelia is VERY sick. She needs you."  
  
"Oh my gosh!" Sylphiel gasped out. "Where is she?!"  
  
"It's…too hard to explain. Just come with me."  
  
Sylphiel blinked. "But…But I can't just leave the children all alone!"  
  
The redhead was just about at the end of her rope. She grit her teeth and bit out,   
"Sylphiel, they are not real. They are dreams. Figments of your imagination. Zelgadis put   
you in a dreamweaver, remember?"  
  
The priestess blinked. "No…That's not right. Zelgadis dear is at work." She   
smiled and turned, walking towards the kitchen.  
  
Lina watched her go, amazed. "Sylphiel! Have you heard one word I've said!?   
You have to come with me! You're trapped in your own dream!" She rushed after the   
priestess and found her taking a pan of cookies out of the oven.  
  
"Oh dear," Sylphiel commented as she waved some smoke away.   
"Well…Zelgadis dear likes them burnt anyway…"  
  
She grabbed Sylphiel by the arm and whirled her around to face her. "SYLPHIEL!   
AMELIA MIGHT DIE!"  
  
For a second, Lina thought she might have broken through to the shrine maiden, but   
Sylphiel just shook her head and smiled. "Don't be silly, Miss Lina. Amelia is fine."  
  
Lina growled and reached back, preparing to slap Sylphiel across the face. The   
only thing that stopped her was the sound of Eruk's voice behind her.   
  
"Mom? Is something wrong?"  
  
Sylphiel smiled at him. "No, of course not, Eruk. Would you like a cookie?"  
  
The sorceress released Sylphiel and growled. No matter how unreal he was, she   
wasn't about to strike the priestess in front of a kid.   
  
Dammit, this was going to be harder than she thought.  
  
  
  
"Oi, Zelgadis," Gourry whispered from the doorway. "How long have they been   
under?"  
  
Zelgadis kept his eyes closed, his mind attuned to the spell, but could still hear and   
understand Gourry's question. "Three hours," he told him. "And why are you   
whispering?"  
  
"I don't know," the swordsman whispered in reply. "It just seems like a good time   
to whisper. Like I don't want to wake them…"  
  
The chimera sighed. He had been in this same position for the past three hours. He   
was sore, hungry, and was in desperate need of the bathroom…   
  
"If you think speaking normally will wake them up, then why are you whispering?"  
  
"Oh," Gourry said in his normal tone of voice. "So…Are they all right?"  
  
"I can still sense Lina and Sylphiel in there," he told them. "So strictly speaking,   
yes, they're all right."  
  
The swordsman nodded.   
  
"Gourry,"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
The chimera paused for a moment. "Would you…Would you sit with Amelia for   
me? I can't leave the room."  
  
Gourry smiled. "Sure."  
  
"Thank you, Gourry," Zelgadis told him quietly.  
  
The blond man walked down the hall to Amelia and Lina's room and quietly   
opened the door. "Amelia? Are you decent?" He opened the door further and found   
Amelia still resting on her bed, still white as a sheet and sweating profusely.  
  
"Mister Gourry?" she asked weakly.  
  
"Yeah, it's me," he said with a smile, sitting on the edge of her bed. "Feeling any   
better?"  
  
The gaunt specter of Amelia slowly shook her head.  
  
"Oh," Gourry whispered. "Would you like anything? How about some juice?"  
  
"No…Thank you, Mister Gourry," Amelia whispered.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
Amelia thought for a moment, then pointed at her pack. "Could you get…my music   
box…for me?" she wheezed.  
  
The mercenary went to her bag and dug around in it for a minute, skillfully averting   
his eyes when faced with Amelia's unmentionables until he found the little music box. He   
put it on the nightstand next to her and opened it.  
  
The sorceress closed her eyes as the soft tune started to play. "Thank you, Mister   
Gourry…" she whispered.  
  
Gourry took a breath and muttered. "Please hurry back, Lina…Sylphiel…"  
  
  
  
Sylphiel hummed happily as she peeled potatoes for tonight's dinner. It was a   
beautiful, bright, blue day outside; perfect weather for just sitting outside and peeling   
potatoes…  
  
Sitting in another chair next to her, likewise peeling potatoes, Lina watched the   
priestess out of the corner of her eye. How could someone doing something so menial look   
so incredibly happy? She had only been peeling for three minutes, and she as already   
bored out of her skull with it. Was this REALLY Sylphiel's dream?  
  
The shrine maiden finished another potato and deposited in the bin before picking   
up a new one and starting over again.   
  
At least the Munchkin Patrol was nowhere to be found. Apparently, the only thing   
they respected in this dream world was their mother. She looked over at Sylphiel again.   
SIX kids? No, SEVEN!? She was going to have to sit Zelgadis down and warn him when   
she got back…  
  
(Okay, Lina! Eyes on the prize! We need to get Sylphiel to snap out of it…)  
  
Okay, now how was she supposed to do that? An idea came to her. If she could   
prove to the shrine maiden that this was a dream, maybe she'd agree to come back with   
her.  
  
"Sylphiel," she began, "How long have you and Zelgadis been married?"  
  
"Twelve years now," Sylphiel answered.  
  
"And how old are your kids?" Lina asked, hoping to rattle the priestess.  
  
"Twelve, ten, six, six, six, two, and the little one is due in five months."  
  
"Where does Zelgadis work?" (Ha! Let's see you come up with one for THAT!)  
  
Sylphiel didn't take her eyes off the potato. "The Atlas City Academy of Sorcery,   
but you know that, Miss Lina, you helped him get the job there."  
  
"Okay, what about Amelia?!"  
  
She smiled. "Miss Amelia is in Seyruun, silly."  
  
"No, she's not!" Lina cried, finally losing her patience. "She's in a little inn in   
some godforsaken town dying because YOU won't help her!"  
  
Sylphiel blinked, the scowled. "Miss Lina, I happen to know that Miss Amelia is   
fine!"  
  
"Oh!? And who told you that?! Magical elves!?" Lina asked sarcastically.  
  
"Mister Xellos!"  
  
Lina blinked. "Xellos?"  
  
"Yes! He stopped by just the other day! I asked him how everyone was, and he   
said everyone was perfectly fine!" The shrine maiden sniffed and went back to peeling   
potatoes.  
  
Lina's eyebrow twitched. "How can I convince you that I'm telling you the truth?"   
she bit out.  
  
"Miss Lina, I'm worried about you," Sylphiel told her as she peeled. "I think   
perhaps you should go home and rest. The fact that you've come all this way alone,   
without Gourry, tells me that there's something wrong…"  
  
"BRILLIANT DEDUCTION!" Lina yelled back.   
  
"Please don't raise your voice to me," Sylphiel told her. "It's bad for the baby…"  
  
"AAAARRRRRGGGHHHH!!!"  
  
Okay, enough playing around…  
  
"Okay, how about this?" Lina grated out. "If my next argument doesn't convince   
you to come back with me, I'll shut up and leave you alone. Okay?"  
  
Sylphiel put her potato down and faced Lina. "Fine. I accept."  
  
"Good." Lina cleared her throat, stood up, and looked down at Sylphiel. "You   
have to come back with me because…" Suddenly, without warning, the redhead lashed out   
with her fist and punched the shrine maiden in the jaw!  
  
Sylphiel fell from her chair to the ground, unconscious.   
  
"BECAUSE I SAID SO!" Lina cried down at her. She quickly picked up the   
priestess in a fireman's carry and started down the front path towards the field where she   
had first arrived. She grumbled as she walked. "You have this really bad habit of making   
things difficult, Sylphiel, you know that?"  
  
She was about halfway there when she suddenly found herself surrounded by   
munchkins…  
  
"Awww…crap…" she muttered.   
  
"You hurt Mommy," the triplets said in unison.  
  
"Um…Mommy's just sleeping," Lina said, laughing nervously.  
  
Eruk stepped forward. "You're not taking her out of here," he said pointedly.   
"Now put her down and leave."   
  
If she wasn't sure before, she was sure now. Eruk wasn't just some fantasy of   
Sylphiel's. On some level, he was real…  
  
"No," she said. "Amelia needs her."  
  
Storm clouds began to gather overhead. The sky started to darken. There was a   
crack of thunder. Lina looked up at the sky and found that somehow, a storm had formed in   
the last three seconds. Eruk didn't bat an eye.   
  
"She's happy here," he told her. "You have no right to take her from that."  
  
"None of this is real!" Lina snapped at him. "It's a dream!"  
  
"HER dream!" Eruk bit back. "One that's simple enough. Why can't she have   
that? It's all she wants out of life! Why do you have to interfere with it?"  
  
"What are you?!" Lina snarled. "The narrator? She has REAL friends! A REAL   
family that needs her! All you can give her here is an illusion!"  
  
"We give her happiness," Eruk told her. "You're the one making her sad."  
  
"Yeah!" the other munchkins threw in.  
  
Lina looked from side to side anxiously. "Listen," she said dangerously to Eruk. "I   
know you're not real, and YOU know you're not real. So don't think for a second I won't   
Dragon Slave this entire part of the world if you don't get out of my way RIGHT NOW."  
  
Eruk stared at her. "I'm more real than you think, Lina Inverse," he told her   
dangerously. "She needs to be protected. You don't know what lies ahead for her!"  
  
Lina stared at him angrily. "Who are you, really?"  
  
"I told you," he said quietly. "I am the first."  
  
"You're the one who's been giving her nightmares, aren't you?" she whispered.   
"Now who's the one making her sad, huh?!" she asked.  
  
"It's the only way to warn her of what lies ahead," Eruk told her. "Out there she's   
vulnerable, in here I can protect her."  
  
Lina grit her teeth and started to walk past the child. A bolt of lightning shot from   
the sky and hit the ground fifty feet in front of her. The sorceress paused, but continued   
forward a second later. Another bolt of lightning hit the ground; this one much closer. Lina   
hissed as the proximity of the blast singed her skin.  
  
"I'll kill you with the next one, Lina Inverse," Eruk's voice floated over to her.   
"Mother will wake up an hour later without a mark or any idea that you were ever here.   
You, on the other hand will have a massive seizure in the waking world and die when your   
heart stops beating."  
  
Lina stood stock still for a moment. Then, "Do what you have to," she said quietly.   
"But she has more to live for than a dream." She started forward again.   
  
Eruk raised his hand and prepared to send another bolt of lightning down onto the   
sorceress. Lina squeezed her eyes shut and hoped that, if nothing else, the shock from the   
lightning would knock Sylphiel awake for real…  
  
"Oi, what's going on here?"  
  
Lina's eyes snapped open. "Zel?!" She turned quickly and found that someone had   
walked up behind the munchkins while they were distracted. The children, with the   
exception of Eruk, turned to him.  
  
"PAPA!"  
  
The triplets ran up to the man and hugged him. Eruk stared coldly at Lina, who was   
busy blinking at the newcomer in shock. It had been Zelgadis' voice, but the man who   
stood before her was completely human. He wore Zelgadis' outfit and carried some sort of   
briefcase, but instead of rough, grey, metallic hair, there were brown locks, and his skin   
was pink and human, not cut stone.  
  
Lina had never seen Zelgadis as a human the way Sylphiel had, and she wasn't sure   
if it was her dream accentuating his looks or not, but the Zelgadis in front of her was   
definitely one of the most attractive men she had ever seen.  
  
"Aunt Lina is trying to take Mommy away!" the triplets cried up at their father.  
  
Zelgadis looked up at Lina and the unconscious Sylphiel in her arms. Lina tensed.   
She thought the rugrats were bad. She didn't want to even THINK about fighting a dream-  
enhanced version of Zelgadis here on the astral plane.  
  
"Lina?" he asked. "What's going on?"  
  
"Zel," she began desperately, "I don't have time to explain, but I need Sylphiel to   
come with me. Amelia will die if she doesn't."   
  
"She's lying," Eruk told him.   
  
Zelgadis looked at her, then to Eruk. It was then that Lina realized it. Eruk might   
have found a way to keep Sylphiel complacent, but he didn't control EVERY facet of the   
dream. If she could convince Zelgadis…  
  
"Zel!" she called to him. "In the years we've known each other, have I EVER lied   
to you?!"  
  
"She's trying to take her away!" Eruk argued.  
  
"Zel, you have to believe me. Would I be doing something like this if I wasn't   
desperate?!"  
  
The dream chimera thought on it for a moment before saying, "Kids, go back to the   
house."  
  
"But what about Mama?!" the ten year old asked.  
  
Zelgadis smiled. "Don't worry. Aunt Lina will take care of her."  
  
"No!" Eruk screamed. "She mustn't go!"  
  
It was at this time that Sylphiel began to stir in Lina's arms. Her eyes opened   
slowly as the redhead looked down at her. "Miss Lina?"  
  
Zelgadis walked up to them and looked down at the priestess. "It's all right,   
Sylphiel…"  
  
"What's going on? Where am I?"  
  
"Sylphiel, Lina says that Amelia needs you."  
  
The priestess shook her head. "No, I can't leave the chil…"  
  
"The children will be fine," the dream-chimera told her, caressing her face. "I'll   
take care of them until you get back. You have to go with Lina."  
  
"No, she can't go!" Eruk cried. He rushed forward and took Sylphiel's hand.   
"You can't leave, Mom!"  
  
Sylphiel took a breath, then smiled. "I won't be gone long," she told Eruk. "I'll be   
right back." She looked back up at Lina. "Miss Lina, please put me down. I can walk."  
  
The redhead put the shrine maiden back on her feet. Sylphiel turned to Zelgadis   
and hugged him. "Come back soon," he begged her.  
  
"Of course."  
  
Lina smiled, but suddenly found herself being forcibly turned around. Eruk had   
grabbed her arm. He glared at her. "Do you have any idea what you've done?" he hissed   
at her. The redhead said nothing as he went on. "If anything happens to her out there, Lina   
Inverse, it's YOUR head I'll take."  
  
Before she could reply to this, Sylphiel was calling to her.  
  
"All right, Miss Lina! I'm ready!"  
  
There was a bright, white light, and then…  
  
  
  
"Lina? Sylphiel?"  
  
Lina opened her eyes and found Zelgadis, the rock-skinned chimera she knew and   
loved, looking down at her. "Zel?"  
  
She turned her head as she heard someone yawning next to her. Sylphiel was still   
lying in the bed next to her, but stretching and yawning as if waking up on a normal day.   
  
"Sylphiel, are you okay?" Zelgadis asked worriedly.  
  
She smiled up at him. "Oh, yes. Thank you, Zelgadis dear. I feel wonderful. It   
feels so good to get a whole eight hours of sleep in."  
  
"How much do you remember?" he asked her.  
  
The shrine maiden blinked at him. "Remember what?"  
  
"Your dream," Lina elaborated.  
  
Sylphiel laughed nervously. "Actually…I don't remember any of it…."  
  
Lina grabbed her by the front of her nightgown and began to shake her. "YOU   
MEAN AFTER ALL THE CRAP I WENT THROUGH WITH YOUR LITTLE   
MUNCHKIN HEATHENS, YOU DON'T EVEN REMEMBER IT?!"  
  
"Lina, don't you think we have more important things to do right now?" Zelgadis   
asked with a sigh.  
  
The sorceress didn't seem to care. She continued to shake the shrine maiden. "IF   
AMELIA WASN'T ON DEATH'S DOOR, I'D PUMMEL YOU INTO NEXT WEEK!!"  
  
This seemed to break through to Sylphiel. "Miss Amelia?! What's wrong with   
Miss Amelia!?"  
  
Zelgadis offered her his hand. "Come on, we'll explain on the way."  
  
  
  
Sylphiel rested a hand on Amelia's forehead and closed her eyes. She took a   
breath and chanted softly. Off to the side, Gourry, Lina, and Zelgadis watched quietly. A   
few seconds later, Sylphiel's eyes opened, and her hand went down to Amelia's hand. She   
looked at it closely, in particular, the small scratch given to her by the cat the previous day.   
The edges of the cut were green and black, and the cut itself was red and irritated.  
  
"What is it?" Lina asked.  
  
"Miss Amelia isn't sick," Sylphiel noted in puzzlement. "It's some type of   
poison."  
  
"Can you help her, Sylphiel?" Gourry asked.  
  
She nodded and closed her eyes, beginning a new chant. "Holy hands; Remove the   
unholy thing; the thing tormenting us…Dicleary!" White, magical energy flowed from   
Sylphiel's hand into Amelia's. The green and black portions of the cut disappeared.   
Almost immediately, color returned to Amelia's cheeks. Her eyes opened.  
  
"Miss Sylphiel?"  
  
Sylphiel smiled down at her. "Miss Amelia, you're going to be fine, but I want you   
to rest, okay? You'll need a few more recovery spells over the next few days, but you're   
going to be fine."  
  
The princess nodded. "Thank you, Miss Sylphiel."  
  
The shrine maiden beamed and turned to the others. "She'll be fine."  
  
Gourry smiled and gave her a thumbs up.  
  
Zelgadis smiled and sighed with relief.  
  
Lina glared, rolled up her sleeves, cracked her knuckles, and started toward her   
threateningly…  
  
"Um…Miss Lina?" Sylphiel asked with a sweatdrop.  
  
"They chased me…" Lina growled. "Drenched me…Electrocuted me…called me   
PIG!" She continued to stalk towards the woman, who was beginning to back away in   
fright. "And you don't even REMEMBER IT?!"  
  
Sylphiel giggled nervously. "Miss Lina…I'm sorry…I really don't rem…"  
  
Lina glared at her, shaking in rage. She looked up at Sylphiel and grinned evilly.   
"Pig…" she chanted. "Pig…Pig…PIG!"  
  
Sylphiel squealed in fright and ran from the room! Lina chased after her.  
  
"PIG! PIG! PIG!" Lina screamed after her.   
  
"Miss Lina! I'm sorry!" Sylphiel cried back at the sorceress as she ran down the   
inn's hallway.  
  
"FIREBALL!"  
  
As an explosion rocked the inn, Zelgadis and Gourry sighed. "And they're all   
ours," Zelgadis noted.  
  
"Yeah," Gourry sighed a second later.  
  
*ka-BOOM!*  
  
"PIG! PIG! PIG! FIREBALL!"  
  
Sylphiel squealed again. "I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!"  
  
Amelia giggled and coughed as a result.   
  
"FIREBALL!!"  
  
*ka-BOOM!*  
  
  
  
To Be Continued…  



	13. RUN! When Shadows and Mothers Collide!

Slayers is the property of Kadokawa Shoten.   
  
  
  
SHADOW LINA: SOMEBODY HELP ME!!  
  
NAGA: What is it, Lina chan?  
  
SHADOW LINA: It's that tourist lady! She's after me!  
  
FILIA: Why would she be after you?  
  
SHADOW LINA: I don't know!   
  
JOSEPHINE: YOU DARE TRY TO STEAL MY LITTLE JEFFREY'S INNOCENCE!!!??  
  
  
Faces: After!  
Part 13  
RUN!  
When Shadows and Mothers Collide!  
  
  
  
  
Thunder clapped overhead, and lightning lit up the entire clearing. Lina Inverse, broken,   
beaten, on her knees as she begged, was the most pathetic sight her opponent had ever seen.   
  
"Please!" Lina begged as the wind whipped through her hair. "I beg you! Mercy!"  
  
Her opponent laughed…  
  
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!! Now you see which of   
us greatest, don't you, Lina Inverse!? OOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!"  
  
"Please, Naga!" Lina begged, her hands clasped before her. "I'll do anything you want!   
You're the greatest sorcery genius in the world!"  
  
"You forgot the most beautiful!" Naga accused her.  
  
"I meant to say that!" Lina cried.  
  
"Too late!" Naga raised her hands to the heavens. "ELEMEKIA STAR!!!" she screamed.   
  
Lina's eyes went wide as the clouds opened up above her. A ball of white hot energy   
coalesced in the sky and fell towards her.  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" She covered her face with her hands.  
  
"OOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!"  
  
  
  
"Ooohohohoho…." Naga muttered in her sleep, her head resting on the inn's breakfast   
table. "Who…is the stupid one…now…Lina Inverse?" she mumbled. Resting between her head   
and the tabletop was the book she had spent all night reading.   
  
The others sat around listening to her mumble.   
  
"Wow! Miss Naga must sure like the Claire Bears, huh?!" Shadow Lina asked happily.  
  
"Hmmm…You mean this thing?" Amara asked, reaching for the book under Naga's head.  
  
"NO! MINE!" Naga growled sleepily, clutching the book without waking up. Amara   
jumped back.  
  
"Wow…she REALLY likes it," Shadow Lina noted.  
  
"So…Is this what you do EVERY day?" Amara asked. "Sit around and drink tea until   
your boss sobers up?"  
  
"Sometimes we leave early," Jeffrey told her proudly.  
  
"That's…wonderful," Amara replied.  
  
"Supposedly," Filia broke in between sips of tea, "We're searching for a an old friend of   
ours, Zelgadis Greywords, but we've been getting rather sidetracked lately."  
  
"I see…"  
  
"I will…destroy you…Lina Inverse…Squash…you…Like a…bug…" Naga snorted, then   
began to snore loudly.  
  
"And where is the gallant Lord Xellos?" Amara asked.  
  
Filia grit her teeth and growled. "With any luck he's far, far, FAR away!"  
  
  
  
Xellos lifted his teacup. "Ah, I see! Congratulations on your engagement, then!" He   
smiled across the table at his one-time target. "I'm engaged as well!"  
  
His breakfast companion smiled.  
  
The priest turned serious for a moment and put his teacup down. "Now that I know that this   
has all been a misunderstanding, there's no need for me to carry out my mission." His face took on   
a tinge of concern. "You really should tell your fiancé not to hide such gifts. Do you realize that   
my superiors believe that his wedding gift to you is actually an anti-Mazoku weapon?"  
  
His companion blushed in embarrassment and turned away.  
  
Xellos smiled. "Well, live and learn, I guess!" He stood up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I   
really must be going. I'll see you at the wedding!" With that, he disappeared.  
  
He had spent too much time away from Filia as it was.  
  
  
  
"As far as I'm concerned, he can just stay away for…"  
  
"Filia chan!"  
  
"Damn!" the dragon cried, pounding her fist on the table. She turned to Amara. "See?!   
See what you've done!? You just HAD to bring him up, didn't you?!"  
  
Before Filia could berate her sister further, Xellos had reached around and wrapped his   
arms around her from behind. "Oh, Filia chan! You have no idea how much I missed you! The   
grating sound of your irate voice! The sweet perfume of your pheromones, calling me lustily from   
across the astral plane!"  
  
"Awww!" Amara and Shadow Lina cooed, stars in their eyes.  
  
Xellos ducked under a swing of the mace.   
  
"The wonderful sound your mace makes when it whips past my head!"  
  
Filia growled and put the weapon away. "So you're back. Hooray," she said   
unenthusiastically, turning her nose skyward.  
  
"Mister Xellos, where have you been?" Shadow Lina asked curiously. "We were worried   
about you."  
  
"Speak for yourself," Filia bit out.  
  
Xellos smiled and wagged a finger in front of her. "That…is a secret."  
  
"Well, now that we're all here, maybe we should wake Miss Naga," Jeffrey suggested.  
  
Silence.  
  
"Okay," Shadow Lina finally said. "I…I'll do it…" She took a few steps towards the   
sleeping sorceress and reached out, touching her arm. "Miss Naga?" She gave the arm a few   
pushes.  
  
Naga's hand snaked out and found a butter knife sitting on the table. She muttered sleepily.   
"Kill you, Lina…Kill you dead…"  
  
At hearing her name and the threat that went with it, Shadow Lina eep'd and jumped back.   
"M..M..M..Maybe we should just let her sleep!"  
  
Filia sighed. "Another day wasted, I guess."  
  
  
  
Sitting at a table not far away, Greysword watched the group. There was no way that   
could be the same Lina Inverse she faced at the cliffs. And where was Blondie? Or Greywords?  
  
Dead end.  
  
She was about to leave when she noticed a masked figure sitting across the aisle from her,   
watching them just as she was. Greysword made a note of this. Perhaps she'd stay just a bit   
longer and make certain…  
  
  
  
Naga continued to snore at a now empty table. The chairs around her were empty, and the   
wait staff refused to go near her…  
  
"Kill you…Lina Inverse…" Naga sleepily muttered. "Kill   
you…dead…Ohohohohohohoho…"  
  
With that one phrase repeating itself every so often, Naga the White Serpent slept.  
  
  
  
Shadow Lina gave the vendor a copper penny for the apple and turned back to Jeffrey as   
the two continued to walk down the street together.   
  
"I'm kind of glad Miss Naga decided to sleep today," the shadow spoke up. "I like this   
town. It's so quiet and peaceful." She looked at her reflection in the apple's shiny skin, then up at   
Jeffrey's smiling face.  
  
"Yeah," he agreed. "This is exactly the kind of town that needs to be protected from the   
forces of evil. If darkness ever fell on a place like this, there would be little hope indeed for the   
world."  
  
Shadow Lina's eyes lit up. "Lord Jeffrey! You're so…You're so…"  
  
"Hey! Look! Swords!"  
  
The redhead turned and found that they had wandered next to a weapons shop.   
  
"I'm going to go inside real quick and see what they have," he told her. "I'll be right out,   
okay?"  
  
The shadow nodded happily. "Oh! Wait! Lord Jeffrey!"  
  
"Yeah?" he asked, pausing near the door.  
  
Shadow Lina stepped closer to him and began to fidget. She stood there, twiddling her   
thumbs for more than a minute, blushing and looking away from him. Jeffrey just blinked in   
puzzlement. Finally, the shadow jumped up on her tiptoes and gave the would-be-knight a peck on   
the cheek.  
  
Jeffrey started to turn red. "Um…I'll…be right out…" he stuttered.  
  
The sorceress smiled, blushing a bright crimson and nodded. Jeffrey entered the shop, and   
Shadow Lina sighed. She raised the apple to her lips and took a quick bite.   
  
Then another.  
  
Then another.  
  
Then a…  
  
She blinked and looked at her empty hand. "Hey…Where did Mister Apple go?" she   
asked herself in confusion.  
  
Looking to her left she found her apple, impaled by a crossbow dart that was now   
protruding from the shop's wall!  
  
The shadow blinked in shock and turned to her right…  
  
The masked tourist lady was standing on the other side of the street holding a rather large,   
wicked-looking crossbow. Josephine saw that she had missed and started to reload.  
  
Shadow Lina shrieked and started running down the street! Josephine, seeing her quarry on   
the run, started after her, dropping the crossbow and pulling out her mallet.  
  
"YOU DARE GIVE MY WONDERFUL JEFFREY A PECK!?" Josephine screamed at   
her, raising the mallet over her head.  
  
The shadow cried as she ran, ducking down a side street while Josephine swung her   
mallet, demolishing walls, street carts, and parts of the road!  
  
"I'LL TEACH YOU A LESSON, YOU HUSSY!" Josephine railed at the redhead as she   
chased the screaming sorceress down the alley.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!" Shadow Lina cried as she ran past a small,   
outdoor café.  
  
Three figures sitting at a table there watched her and Josephine run by.  
  
"What do you suppose that's all about?" Amara asked.  
  
Xellos smiled. "Yes, well, it can be hard for a bride to impress her future mother-in-law,   
you know."  
  
Amara smiled and nodded. She turned to Filia. "That reminds me, Filia chan, have you   
met YOUR future mother-in-law yet?"  
  
Filia spit up a mouthful of tea she had been drinking. "Wha…What are you talking   
about?!"  
  
"Beastmaster Metallium," Amara went on. "She is female, isn't she?"  
  
Xellos replied by wrapping an arm around Filia and smiling. "Oh, don't worry, Little   
Dragon! I'm sure she can't wait to meet you and welcome you into our family!"  
  
"For the VERY LAST TIME…" Filia growled, taking Xellos wrists in her hands. "I AM   
NOT YOUR MATE!!!" As she screamed this, she threw the priest over her shoulder and onto the   
table, which collapsed under his weight.  
  
Xellos looked up at Filia and blinked. Amara scowled at her sister.  
  
"Filia chan!" Amara cried.   
  
"Hmmm…Does this mean the wedding's off?" he asked jokingly. "But I've already hired   
a band!"  
  
"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!" Filia screamed. She gave him a good   
swift kick to act as the exclamation point… "I WILL…" *Kick!* "…NEVER MARRY…"   
*Kick!* "…YOU!" With that finally out of her system, Filia huffed and sat back down in her   
chair.  
  
"Wow…" Xellos muttered. "Was it good for you?"  
  
Filia's eyes began to glow…  
  
"Oh! Lord Xellos!" Amara suddenly cried, leaning next to him. "I apologize for my   
sister! She's never been very open minded," she explained.  
  
"It has nothing to do with how open-minded I am!" Filia cried, near tears. "He's   
so…He's so…HE'S SO DAMN ANNOYING!"  
  
Xellos smiled. Sweet Ruby Eye, he loved it when she yelled, though he was careful never   
to tell her how much. Though most would consider her shrieking a negative thing, to him it was the   
equivalent of screams of passion. It made him shiver inside.  
  
"Lord Xellos," Amara said quietly. He turned to her and found her on her knees, her head   
bowed. "I apologize for my sister. Her behavior is not representative of all of us. I know she has   
hurt you, and I would like to offer to take her place as your bride…to…show how sorry we are   
that she has offended you such…"  
  
"WHAT?!" Filia cried. Her tail popped out from beneath her dress in anger. Hopping   
over Xellos, she took her sister's arm. "Just what do you think you're…"  
  
Xellos smiled, a plan forming. He quickly covered his eyes with the palms of his hands   
and started to make sobbing noises. "Oh…Oh, Filia chan! How could you?! How could you lead   
me on like this and then cancel our wedding so suddenly?!"  
  
Filia started growling low in her throat, her hand creeping towards the mace that rode her   
thigh…  
  
"Oh! Lord Xellos! Please don't cry!" Amara begged, taking his arm. She turned angrily   
to the other golden dragon and glared. "I should have known those Fire Dragon priests wouldn't   
teach you manners!"  
  
"Oh, quit faking, you horrible namagomi!" Filia snarled at him, giving the Mazoku another   
kick.  
  
"FILIA!" Amara chastised.  
  
Xellos continued to weep. "How could she be so cruel!? I was going to give her   
everything she ever wanted, and all she had to do was love me!" He choked and sobbed in order   
to hold back laughter.  
  
"Please, Lord Xellos," Amara begged. "Forget her insulting manners and accept me as a   
substitute. I promise to make up for her crimes against you!"  
  
Filia sighed. "Oh, sweet Fire Dragon King…"  
  
"Very well, Miss Amara," Xellos said with a pathetic sniff.  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"I acce…"  
  
Before he could get the words out of his mouth, Filia had a hold of the front of his robes.   
"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" she hissed at him.  
  
Xellos smiled. "Well, if you're unwilling to be my mate, Filia chan, Miss Amara   
seems…"  
  
Filia wrapped her hands around the Mazoku's throat and began to throttle him. "DO YOU   
REALLY THINK I'M GOING TO LET YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MY BRAINWASHED   
SISTER LIKE THAT?!" she screamed.  
  
The trickster priest smiled evilly. "What alternative do I have?"  
  
The golden dragon fumed. She turned and saw Amara staring at them. Filia sighed.  
  
(She's your sister…)  
  
In one quick move, Filia wrapped her arms around Xellos' neck and pulled him closer to   
her. "Oh! Xel chan!" she squealed. "I'm sorry! Can you ever forgive me?!"  
  
"Um…'S no problem," Xellos mumbled.  
  
"Of course I want to marry you!" Filia squealed, deciding to get what revenge she could   
while at the same time protecting her brain dead sister. "We're going to be happy together, Xel   
chan! So very, very, VERY happy! Life is so wonderful!"  
  
Xellos swallowed and turned pale.  
  
Amara clapped her hands in glee. "Oh, that's wonderful! I'm so glad you two worked   
things out!"  
  
"Of course!" Filia chimed in, forcing a bright smile on her face. She pulled Xellos closer   
and looked at Amara as if posing for a picture. "I wouldn't do ANYTHING to risk losing my big,   
strong, Mazoku woku!"  
  
While Filia went on about his "virtues," Xellos was blinking as a new sensation overtook   
him. Being this close to Filia must have been affecting him. He took a deep breath, savoring the   
scent of her pheromones combined with an unknown perfume she wore.   
  
"So you better not try to steal my Xelzy Welzy!" Filia warned her sister. "You know how   
insanely jealous I can be!"   
  
Xellos blinked several times, trying to clear his head. Filia was still speaking to Amara   
and wasn't even paying attention to him. He looked down and found a bare patch of the dragon's   
skin where her shoulder met her neck. He blinked again and took another deep breath, her scent   
filling his nostrils, intoxicating him. His head fell forward…  
  
"He's all mine!" Filia cried, feeling sick to her stomach. "All…m..mine…" That's when   
she felt it; something moist and soft on her neck. She turned her head and looked down.  
  
Xellos had kissed her neck.  
  
"You…" she hissed, rising and turning to face him.   
"Filthy…disgusting…pervert…hentai…" Xellos sat there, dazed. "NAMAGOMI!!!" Filia   
screamed, pulling her mace. In one quick movement, the spiked weapon whipped up and struck   
Xellos in the chin, launching him into orbit! "HOW DARE YOU TOUCH ME!!!" she screamed   
up at him. She turned her head and noticed Amara still staring. "BEFORE THE WEDDING!" she   
amended quickly.  
  
Amara looked up at the sky until the black dot that was Xellos disappeared completely.   
She sweatdropped. "Same old Filia…"  
  
Filia suddenly reached out and flipped Amara's skirt up. The elder dragon squealed in   
surprised and rushed to push her dress back down, but not before Filia had found what she was   
looking for and held it aloft.  
  
"You're one to talk!" Filia sniffed, waving the coiled bullwhip under her sister's nose. "I   
see you're still carrying Whip-chan…"  
  
Amara blushed and snatched the whip back. "A girl traveling alone needs protection!" she   
cried. "And…it's…a marital aid," she muttered.  
  
"Huh?" Filia asked.  
  
"Well," Amara told her with a blush. "Mazoku are masochists…and…I want to please my   
husband on our wedding night…so…"  
  
"Stop," Filia told her deadpan. "I don't want to hear anymore…" She suddenly blinked.   
She had just hit Xellos…She had NEVER been able to hit Xellos before, no matter how hard she   
had tried…  
  
"Um…Excuse me, ladies…" The two dragons looked up and found Jeffrey standing next to   
them. "Have you seen Miss Lina? We were walking together, and now…well…she's gone…"  
  
  
  
Shadow Lina shrieked again as a hotdog cart landed only a foot to her right! "HELP!" she   
screamed as she ran. A piano landed to her left! "SOMEONE! ANYONE! LORD JEFFREY!   
HELP!!"  
  
Running just behind her, Josephine swung her mallet. "HOW DARE YOU TRY TO   
STEAL MY DARLING JEFFREY'S INNOCENCE!!??"  
  
Shadow Lina squealed in fright and continued to run…  
  
  
  
As Xellos rose higher and higher into the atmosphere, he thought. Usually, he would just   
instantly transport himself back to the café, but this time he needed a few moments to collect his   
thoughts.  
  
Things appeared to be taking a turn. Somehow, he allowed his guard to go down…   
  
Filia was definitely affecting him more than he had counted on her being able to. He still   
had no idea why he had kissed her neck. But for some reason, being that close to her, being able to   
smell her, to touch her…  
  
He had found himself aroused by her.  
  
His Peak was getting worse.   
  
The number of Mazoku that actually reach Peak was rather small. Normally, it's sated   
immediately and not much of a bother, but Xellos wasn't sure that any Mazoku had been forced to   
wait as long as he had been forced to before.   
  
Now it was beginning to affect his ability to defend himself…  
  
He stopped breathing as he left the atmosphere, and the stars began to shine.   
  
He hoped that it wouldn't get much worse. The priest was in uncharted territory now.   
  
Sweet Ruby Eye, he wanted her…  
  
  
  
"Captain's Log…Stardate three………………..four………sevensixpointnine!" Captain   
Kirk swiveled his chair around and looked at the blue planet on the viewscreen. "We've   
established orbit around Theta Rhodimus Six…an………..unknown planet to the Federation!" He   
took a breath. "So far it appears to be a   
………primitiveworlddevoidofspaceflightHOWEVER…..we are….continuing scans…" He   
swiveled his chair again to face his Science Officer. "Mister Spock….Spoooock!"  
  
The Vulcan turned and placed his hands behind his back. "My scans have confirmed our   
probe's findings. The population of this planet cannot travel into spa…" He broke off as a man   
with purple hair and black robes holding a staff floated by the viewscreen and gave them the   
victory sign.  
  
"Spock?" Kirk asked. "S…poooock!" Kirk tried again.  
  
"Er…I would like to perform more scans to be sure, Captain…"  
  
"You and your damn Vulcan logic!" McCoy railed at him from behind the red rail near the   
turbolift…  
  
  
  
Xellos waved at the starship as he began to fall back to earth. They seemed like sociable   
people…  
  
What was he going to do?  
  
He sighed as soon as there was enough air around him to allow it. Perhaps he should   
redouble his efforts to bed her. He had promised her he wouldn't take her by force, and he was   
beginning to regret that promise. The physical symptoms of Peak would be so easily relieved if he   
could have her…  
  
But that wasn't the answer, and he knew it.  
  
He sighed again. The ground was getting closer. The time for contemplation was over…  
  
  
  
Shadow Lina ducked behind an old chicken coop and leaned against the flimsy wood wall,   
panting for breath. She lost her. She had finally lost that masked lunatic.  
  
She snuffled and fell to the floor, leaning against the wall, her hands going to her face as   
she cried. Why was she after HER?! What did SHE ever do?!  
  
The shadow sniffled as she thought about her dire situation. How was she supposed to   
fight back?! She was a shadow! She hated violence!   
  
She looked up as she heard a high-pitched whistling getting louder. Anticipating a new   
attack, Shadow Lina covered her head with her hands and whimpered.   
  
The chickens in the coop behind her went crazy as a black-clad figure slammed into their   
coop at mach three with a horrendous crash! Shadow Lina turned her head as the coop door   
opened, and Xellos stepped out, casually adjusting his robes.   
  
"The only way to fly," he commented to himself. He turned and looked down to find   
Shadow Lina sitting there, her eyes red and puffy. "Ah! Lina chan!"  
  
The shadow sniffled. "Hi…*Sniff*…Mister Xellos…"  
  
"Aww!" Xellos cooed. "What's the matter, Lina chan? Did the Namor Bunny Farm close   
down?"  
  
Shadow Lina gasped and looked even more miserable. "The BUNNY FARM closed down   
too?! This day just keeps getting worse!"  
  
Xellos blinked at her. "So you're having a rough day too, huh?"  
  
The redhead started to cry again, pulling her knees into her chest and hugging them. She   
nodded sadly. "It's that tourist lady. She's trying to kill me."  
  
"Oh, now I'm sure that's an exaggeration," Xellos told her with a smile. "Why would   
anyone want to hurt disgustingly cute and sweet little you?"  
  
She snuffled again. "Because…Because I like Lord Jeffrey."  
  
"Oh yes…" Xellos muttered. He shuddered at the sugar that went with an image of the   
two of them together.   
  
"She's been shooting at me," she whimpered, "Chasing me…Trying to mallet me…Then   
she threw a piano at me…"  
  
Xellos arched an eyebrow. "What? You mean she pushed one out a window on top of   
you?"  
  
"No!" the shadow cried, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes. "I mean she picked one   
up with one hand and threw it like a dodge ball! She's not human!" She buried her face in her   
hands and started crying again. "What am I going to do, Mister Xellos!?" she wept. "I love Lord   
Jeffrey SO much! But…But…I'm scared!"  
  
The trickster priest sat down next to her and looked puzzled. "I can't imagine why that   
would be," he said.  
  
"What?!" she cried. "She's big! And mean! And she throws things!"  
  
"Ah!" Xellos said, wagging his finger at her. "But from what Miss Naga has told me, the   
original Lina was rather frightened of Josephine!"  
  
She sniffled. "So?"  
  
"So," he said. "So you're her shadow, right? Her opposite. If that's right, and Lina chan   
was scared of Josephine, then shouldn't YOU be fearless of her?"  
  
Shadow Lina blinked. "I…I guess so…"  
  
Xellos grinned. "So why are you crying? You should be able to stand right up to her!"  
  
She stood up. "Yeah. You're right!" she cried. She sighed. "But…"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I…Don't know how…"  
  
"Hmmm…" The Mazoku smiled. "Would you like me to teach you?" he asked.  
  
The shadow brightened. "You mean it? You'll teach me to be mean and heartless like a   
Mazoku?!"  
  
(Oh, this is too good,) he thought.  
  
"Stand up straight!" he barked, rising to his feet. She jumped to attention and faced him.   
"Now…square your shoulders." She obeyed. "Lift your chin…Right, now grit your teeth and   
glare…" She complied as best she could.  
  
"Like this?" she asked.  
  
"Don't squeak!" he ordered. "Gruff! Threatening!"  
  
"Like this?" she asked again, her voice deeper.  
  
He smiled. "Good! Now say something threatening!"  
  
"Like what?" she asked, once again in her normal, soft squeak.  
  
Xellos sighed. "All right, try this. Picture your beloved Lord Jeffrey!"  
  
The shadow blushed and started to fidget.  
  
"Now imagine that big, mean tourist lady has grabbed him!" Xellos continued. "And she's   
going to take him far far away!" He saw Shadow Lina bite her lip. "Now…tell her to let him go."  
  
"Please let Lord Jeffrey go," she squeaked.  
  
"No!" Xellos bit back. "Don't ASK to let him go! Demand it!"  
  
"Let Lord Jeffrey go," she said.  
  
"Louder!"  
  
"Let Lord Jeffrey go!"  
  
He slapped her arm. "Come on!" he growled. "I'm not scared!"  
  
"LET LORD JEFFREY GO!"  
  
"BO-RING!"  
  
"G…GET YOUR STINKING CLAWS OFF LORD JEFFREY!" she shrieked louder.  
  
"C'mon! You're scarier than this!"  
  
She took a deep breath. "YOU LEAVE HIM ALONE, YOU MEAN AWFUL PERSON!"  
  
"Or what?!" Xellos asked.  
  
"Or…or…OR I'LL BLAST YOU INTO BITS!"  
  
"I don't believe you!" Xellos told her. "I think you're a weak little girl!"  
  
"I AM NOT!"  
  
"I think you don't really love Lord Jeffrey!" he mocked her.  
  
"I DO SO!"  
  
"Is the little girl going to cry?!" he teased her. "Is she going to run to her Lord Jeffrey?!   
Oh that's right! She can't! She let the big mean tourist lady take him away!"  
  
"LET'S DANCE, BITCH!!!" Shadow Lina screamed.  
  
Xellos smiled. "And now you're ready."  
  
  
  
Jeffrey sighed for the fiftieth time. Sitting across from him, Naga continued to sleep. It had   
taken him a little while, but he had finally figured out the truth.   
  
Shadow Lina didn't really like him.   
  
Oh, maybe she did once, but now she was actually AVOIDING him. He wished he knew   
what it was he had done to upset her like that so he could fix it. He LIKED Shadow Lina. He   
really did. She was nice, and sweet, and pretty…  
  
A picture of Shadow Lina popped into his mind and smiled. "Lord Jeffrey…"  
  
He sighed again. What was he going to do?  
  
Suddenly, a small, chibi version of Miss Naga appeared on his left shoulder. "Forget her!"   
Chibi Naga told him. "Who would want a prude like that, anyway?! You should go for a girl with   
the GUNS to make it worth your while…" With that, Chibi Naga puffed out her chest and pointed   
at the sleeping sorceress across from him.  
  
"Um…I…don't think Miss Naga likes me like that," he explained.  
  
"What's not to like?!" Chibi Naga asked.  
  
Another apparition appeared on his right shoulder, and he gasped in shock. Apparently, the   
"angel" appeared as his number one hero in the whole world, the great warrior of justice he had   
based his life on…  
  
"No!" Chibi Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun, arrayed in a white Flaming Hero uniform just like   
his, cried, pointing at him. "Love and justice are not something that can be dictated by the forces   
of evil!"   
  
"Phhht!" Chibi Naga replied. "What does SHE know?"  
  
"SILENCE, EVIL DOER!" Chibi Amelia cried. "Your heart is black and must be   
cleansed of its evil intent!"  
  
"Bring it on, Short-Stuff!" Chibi Naga egged the princess on.  
  
Chibi Amelia growled.  
  
Jeffrey sighed. "This really isn't helping," he told them.  
  
"Sorry," they said in unison. In a puff of smoke, they both disappeared.  
  
He sighed again as a long, dark shadow fell over him. Turning and looking up, he saw a   
large, masked figure standing over him.   
  
"Oh, hi, Miss Tourist Lady," he said dejectedly.  
  
"Is something wrong, young man?" the tourist asked sympathetically. Jeffrey blinked. He   
still found that voice oddly familiar.  
  
"Can I talk to you, Tourist Lady?" he asked. The masked figure nodded, and he sighed   
again. "I think I might have done something to hurt Miss Lina's feelings. I mean…for a while, I   
thought she WANTED to be my girlfriend. But now she's avoiding me. I don't know what to   
do…"  
  
"Hmmm…" the tourist lady replied. "I think it's obvious that she's just a skank and would   
probably hurt you in the long run. You should forget her."  
  
Jeffrey looked at her in shock. "What?! I can't do that! And she's NOT a skank!"  
  
"Oh really?" the masked woman asked. "I bet she's always trying to get you to kiss   
her…"  
  
"Well…yeah, I guess…"  
  
"SEE?! A SLUT!"  
  
"NO SHE'S NOT!" Jeffrey cried angrily, rising to his feet. "Miss Lina isn't like that!   
She's kind, and gentle, and nice! She's pure and innocent! Like a princess! She's…she's   
soft…and delicate…like a beautiful, delicate butterfly…"  
  
"HEY! GET YOUR F*BEEP!*ING ASS AWAY FROM MY F*BEEP!*ING   
BOYFRIEND, YOU PIECE OF S*BEEP!*T!!!"  
  
They both turned in shock to find Shadow Lina standing at the inn door, pointing at   
Josephine.   
  
"M…M…Miss Lina?!" Jeffrey cried.  
  
"YEAH, I'M TALKING TO YOU, YOU FAT, UGLY PIECE OF CRAP!" the shadow   
screamed at Josephine. "TAKE A HIKE BEFORE I DRAGON SLAVE YOUR FREAKY BITCH   
ASS TO THE MOON!!"  
  
Xellos appeared in the doorway behind her, golf clapping at Shadow Lina's performance.  
  
Naga chose this moment to wake up and yawn…  
  
The priest banged two pots together twice. "LET'S GET READY TO   
RUUUUUUMMMMBLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEE!!!!"  
  
Josephine was livid. "YOU DARE USE NASTY CUSS WORDS IN THE PRESENCE   
OF MY SWEET, PURE, INNOCENT JEFFREY!?" She took out her mallet and prepared for war.  
  
"LET'S DO IT!" Shadow Lina cried, readying a spell.  
  
"Please, ladies!" Jeffrey cried, trying to defuse the situation before it got REALLY ugly.  
  
"FLYING CYCLONE OF MOTHERLY LOVE ATTACK!!!" Josephine screamed   
launching herself at Shadow Lina in a flying dive!  
  
Shadow Lina pointed her hands at the flying tourist. "BOMB DE WIND!!!" A blast of   
compressed air struck the masked woman and launched her back into the far wall.  
  
"Miss Lina! Miss Tourist Lady! Please! Stop it!" Jeffrey cried, unsure of which side to   
take in the battle.  
  
From the smoke of the collision with the wall flew a mallet. "MATERNAL MALLET   
MISSILE!!"  
  
Shadow Lina squeaked and ducked! The mallet flew right over her where her head   
would've been! Still standing behind her, Xellos calmly reached out and caught the weapon with   
one hand.  
  
Sitting at a booth on the other side of the restaurant, Greysword watched the battle and   
blinked in surprise. Which was it? One second she was certain that wasn't the real Lina Inverse,   
now she'd say with certainty that it was.   
  
What the Hell was going on?!  
  
Shadow Lina saw red glowing eyes glaring at her from the smoke and aimed. "DILL   
BRAND!!"  
  
There was another explosion on that side of the inn, but instead of flying straight up,   
Josephine flew straight toward the redhead!   
  
Naga stretched out in her chair and yawned. "What a wonderful dream I had," she   
commented sleepily as explosions rocked the inn around her. She sighed. "I wish Lina Inverse   
were really here so I could really knock the crap out of her!!"  
  
"BRAM FANG!!" Shadow Lina cried. About twenty blades of compressed air shot from   
Shadow Lina's outstretched hands and cut into the overweight woman, tearing parts of her dress.   
There was a sharp ripping sound, and Josephine's mask came off.  
  
Jeffrey gasped.  
  
"M…Mommy?" he whispered.  
  
Josephine looked from side to side quickly, trying desperately to think up an excuse.   
"Um…Jeffrey…I…"  
  
Naga suddenly looked at the destruction around her and the look of rage on Shadow Lina's   
face. And, of course, being Naga, she did what Naga did best…  
  
Jumped to the wrong conclusion…  
  
Leaping to a tabletop, she pointed down at the redhead. "HA! I HAVE YOU NOW, LINA   
INVERSE!!! OOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!" She raised her hands above her head. "NOW   
WITNESS THE TERRIBLE POWER OF NAGA THE WHITE SERPENT!!!"  
  
"Huh?!" Shadow Lina cried. "Miss Naga!? What are you…"  
  
Standing in a corner, Xellos nonchalantly munched on popcorn as he watched.  
  
Naga closed her eyes and began to chant. "Shards of the great one, aid me in my holy   
quest! Let the last rays of your light destroy the evil before me! In thy great name, I pledge myself   
to the light!" Thunder cracked outside. Though they couldn't see it because of the inn's ceiling,   
dark storm clouds were parting…  
  
"M..M…M….Miss Naga?" Shadow Lina whimpered.  
  
"Let all the evil that stands in our way be destroyed! By the power you and I possess!!!"   
Naga pointed down at Shadow Lina, her eyes wild with vengeful glee. "ELEMEKIA   
STAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!!!!"  
  
Shadow Lina whimpered and ducked into a ball.  
  
"NO!!!" Jeffrey cried. He rushed forward and threw himself on top of the redhead!  
  
"Lord Jeffrey, run!" the shadow cried. "Save yourself!"  
  
"No! I'm not leaving without you!"  
  
"Forget me, Lord Jeffrey!" Shadow Lina wept. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry I never told you!"  
  
"It's going to be okay, Miss Lina!" Jeffrey assured her. "Just close your eyes! It'll be   
over soon!"  
  
"Please forgive me, Lord Jeffrey!" she cried. "I should have told you! I should have told   
you the day we met!"  
  
"It's okay, Miss Lina! I should have told YOU!"  
  
As they were going on, Naga was tapping her foot in annoyance and glaring at the ceiling.   
"Hel-LO!" she cried. "Where's the destruction, huh?!" Xellos just scratched his head and   
shrugged. He picked up the Claire Bible manuscript and flipped to the Troubleshooting section…  
  
"Oh, Jeffrey! If it has to end! If it has to end, at least we'll be together!"  
  
"Together, Miss Lina!" Jeffrey assured her.  
  
"Jeffrey!"  
  
"Lina!"  
  
"I LOVE YOU!" they cried at the same time.  
  
"How sweet," Naga muttered, still waiting for her final attack to wipe out a good portion   
of the town. By now she realized that Shadow Lina was NOT Lina Inverse, but now she was more   
annoyed that her wonderful final spell seemed to be fizzling.  
  
"Yes," Xellos muttered, still flipping through pages. "I may weep openly…" He   
brightened. "Here we go! Miss Naga, it appears that you skipped a very important stage of the   
spell! You forgot to use a magic conductor."  
  
Naga grabbed the book from him and started reading. "GODDAMMIT!" she cried.   
  
"You…You mean we're not going to die?" Shadow Lina sniffled, looking up at them, still   
in Jeffrey's arms.  
  
"No…dammit…" Naga told her.  
  
Shadow Lina and Jeffrey looked at one another and quickly jumped away from each other   
in embarrassment.   
  
"Jeffrey,"  
  
He turned and faced his mother, who looked rather agitated. She took a breath and spoke.   
"You're…you're a big boy now…"  
  
"Mommy?" Jeffrey asked.  
  
Josephine dabbed at her eyes with a silk kerchief. "I guess…this happens to all parents.   
Eventually, their little darlings have to leave the nest and stand on their own!" She walked over to   
Shadow Lina, who ducked and covered with a frightened squeak. "You, young lady, seem to love   
my darling Jeffrey very much," Josephine told her.   
  
The shadow blushed. "Yeah…I guess I do…"  
  
"Good! Because it's YOUR job to take care of him now!"  
  
"Huh?" Shadow Lina squeaked. "You mean…It's okay?"  
  
"Well," Josephine said, putting her hands on her hips. "You're not PERFECT…"   
Shadow Lina's face fell. "And you need some improvement…" The shadow sighed. "But with   
me as your coach, you'll be a fine, upstanding young woman in no time!"  
  
Shadow Lina sighed.  
  
Josephine stepped over and hugged her son. "When you're all done fighting for justice,   
come home," she told him. "I'll be waiting there."  
  
Jeffrey, still visibly dazed by everything that had happened, only nodded.   
  
"Goodbye, everyone!" Josephine waved, picking up her mallet. She smiled and walked   
out of the inn.  
  
"And so, she walked out of our lives forever," Xellos commented quietly.  
  
Shadow Lina and Jeffrey looked at one another for several seconds, their eyes locking.   
"J…Jeffrey," the sorceress whispered.  
  
"L…Lina…"  
  
The two embraced.  
  
"BARF!" Naga cried. "God, what a morning!" she cried, turning on her heel and starting   
for the kitchen.  
  
  
  
It was midnight when he heard the call. Hopping down from his perch in the tree near   
Filia's window, Xellos started toward what he knew would not be a happy meeting…  
  
Turning down an alleyway, he stretched out with his senses, searching for them. She never   
traveled off her island alone. Unlike Gaav and Phibrizzo, SHE never underestimated the greater   
world around her.  
  
"Stop."  
  
He obeyed the gruff voice. Cold breath washed over him from the shadow on his right.  
  
"I'm alone," he assured them.  
  
"Aren't we all?"  
  
He looked up at the new voice, one intimately familiar to him. Footsteps on the   
cobblestone street echoed as SHE approached, flanked by two of her Mazoku guards, one of which   
was Callisto, and four large wolves.  
  
Xellos smiled and scratched the back of his neck. "Isn't meeting like this a little   
melodramatic?" he asked the blonde woman.  
  
Zelas Metallium, arguably the most powerful Mazoku alive smiled. In her flashy gold   
dress, and with a cigarette complete with black holder in her hand, she looked like something out   
of an old play. "You know me, Xelly," she said. "I love a good entrance."  
  
"Yes…"  
  
"Leave us," she told the others. Callisto and the other guard bowed their heads and   
disappeared. The cold breath on Xellos' neck withdrew. The wolves remained.  
  
"Er…Something I can do for you?" Xellos asked somewhat nervously.  
  
Zelas frowned and took a breath as if unsure how to proceed. "I can't help but notice that   
the Princess of Seyruun is alive and well."  
  
"Yes, that…" Xellos began. "I investigated the matter, and found that there was no threat.   
It turned out to be a mistake…" He stopped suddenly as she raised her cigarette, silencing him.  
  
"You weren't ordered to investigate, Xelly," she told him, her tone cold despite the absurd   
nickname. "I told you to destroy a target. Nothing more. Nothing less. NOT to dictate policy."  
  
"I…felt it would be wiser to bring you news of what I found and allow you the opportunity   
to…dictate policy…appropriately."  
  
She smiled dangerously. "Then why am I here now, hearing this for the first time, instead   
of hearing it from you on Wolfpack Island once you found this information?"  
  
He swallowed. "Majesty, I…"  
  
She held up a hand. "Xelly," she said quietly. "This has gone on long enough.   
Your…condition…is perfectly natural. And knowing how eccentric you can be, your choice in   
mates didn't really surprise me." The Mazoku queen was glaring now. "But now it's starting to   
affect your judgement, and…"  
  
"Majesty, really, I…  
  
He suddenly found himself with her finger on his lips. "HUSH!" she hissed at him.   
"HUSH!" Xellos blinked as the finger was pulled away. "You have been, by far, my most   
efficient lieutenant," she told him. "I never thought I'd see the day when you would fuck up, but   
believe me, cupcake, you are FUCKING UP now!"  
  
He was silent.  
  
"Why haven't you dealt with your situation?" she asked.  
  
"It's…rather complicated. I'm afraid I can't just…take her."  
  
"Then allow me to make it easy for you," she said dangerously. "I am ORDERING   
you…to impregnate your mate." Xellos took a breath. "If she doesn't offer herself to you, you are   
to take her by force." He opened his mouth to offer a humble objection, but she cut him off. "One   
way or the other I want this whole mess over and done with!" she snapped. "Do you understand,   
Xelly poo?" she asked sweetly.  
  
Xellos hesitated for a moment, then bowed his head. "It…shall be done…Majesty."  
  
Zelas smiled. "Don't look so glum, Xelly poo!" she cried, slapping him on the back.   
"Soon you'll be your old self again!"  
  
"Thank you…Majesty," he whispered.  
  
"Oh, one last thing before I go!" she said. She opened her hand and pointed her palm at   
Xellos. The trickster priest clutched at his chest in pain and fell to his knees in agony. His mouth   
opened, but no sound emerged. Zelas knelt next to him until her lips were an inch from his right   
ear. She started to whisper. "If you ever…EVER…circumvent my authority again, I'll make you   
wish Gaav DID kill you." She pulled her hand away, and Xellos gasped for breath.  
  
The Mazoku queen stood up. Her wolves snarled at Xellos. "Come on, babies!" she told   
them. The wolves turned and followed her as she disappeared into a shadow.  
  
Xellos climbed to his feet and leaned against the wall, still in pain.  
  
Things had taken another turn.  
  
Another damn turn…  
  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
  
Author's Note:  
By the way, Star Trek belongs to Gene Roddenberry.   



	14. Another Ambush!? The Dark Past Returns!

Slayers belongs to Kadokawa Shoten.  
  
KIRK: Captain's Log….Stardate………….TWOFIVESEVENEIGHTFOUROHFOUR!!!!   
We've beamed down to…..Theta Rhodimus…………..Four… INANATTEMPT… to…   
understand new…and different….cultures…  
  
JIRAS: Your tea is ready. (Serves tea to Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, sitting at a table at   
Filia's Tea and Mace Shop.)  
  
SPOCK: Captain, as we sit here sipping these beverages, I cannot help but feel that there   
is something more important happening on this planet that requires the reader's attention.  
  
MCCOY: YOU AND YOUR DAMN VULCAN LOGIC!!!  
  
  
Faces: After!  
Part 14  
Another Ambush!?  
The Dark Past Returns!  
  
  
  
  
"How much longer?" Scarrin asked his red-robed henchman as they looked down   
at the town from the mountain pass.  
  
Zero thought for a moment, looking up at the sun through his astrolabe. "Another   
day, maybe," he said.  
  
Scarrin smiled. "Excellent."  
  
"What about Greysword?" Zero asked him.   
  
The yellow-eyed man waved the question aside. "She'll be here. Do you honestly   
believe she'd miss this opportunity?"  
  
"Was it really a good idea to leave her unsupervised?"  
  
Scarrin's lip quirked up. "That depends," he said. "Do you really think she is   
capable of killing Greywords?"  
  
"I suppose not…"  
  
"Gandrav, can you sense it?"  
  
The werewolf stepped forward and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath of the air.   
"No. Your scent is drowning it out. We're still too far away."  
  
"Can you sense ANYTHING?"  
  
The werewolf nodded. "Enough to know it was here."  
  
"Good enough. Let's go." Without another word, Scarrin started down the path.  
  
  
  
"Oi, Zelgadis!"  
  
The chimera, leaning up against the wall near the inn door, looked up at the   
approaching swordsman with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. "Taking Lina out?" he   
asked.  
  
"Huh?" The mercenary blinked. "Oh! The flowers! No. These are for Amelia.   
Is she feeling any better?"  
  
Zelgadis sighed and pushed the door open a bit so that bits of conversation could be   
heard from inside. "See for yourself."  
  
"Now I'm not saying he isn't good," Lina was saying inside the sick girl's room.   
"I'm just saying I stopped liking Darrin Daye when he changed his name to Bahamut Bali!   
What kind of crap is that?!"  
  
Amelia's irate voice came a second later. "Wait a minute! Wait a minute! WAIT   
A MINUTE!" she demanded. "A man has a right to change his name to whatever he wants   
to change it to! And if a man wants to be called 'Bahamut Bali,' Cepheid dammit, Seyruun   
is a free kingdom, we should respect his wishes and call the man 'Bahamut Bali!'"  
  
"His mother named him 'Daye,'" Sylphiel spoke up, "I'm calling him 'Daye.'"  
  
"Damn straight!" Lina agreed.  
  
Gourry chose this moment to enter. He smiled at Amelia, who was sitting up in   
bed, looking much better now after a few days of rest. Sylphiel was sitting in a chair   
nearby, and Lina was leaning up against the wall across from the princess' bed.  
  
"Hi, Amelia!" he said, beaming. "I brought you some flowers. How are you   
feeling?"  
  
Lina crossed her arms over her chest. "What about MY flowers?" she asked.  
  
Gourry started. "Um…"  
  
"Er…Thank you, Mister Gourry!" Amelia jumped in, taking the flowers and putting   
them on the nightstand next to the other flowers and small gifts she had received.  
  
Zelgadis entered the room. "So how DO you feel?" he asked. "Well enough to   
travel yet?"  
  
Amelia nodded. "Oh, definitely!" she said with a bright smile.   
  
"Are you sure?" Lina asked. She looked to Sylphiel.  
  
"Well," the priestess said, putting her finger to her lip in thought, "It should be   
okay…"  
  
"I feel much better, Miss Lina," Amelia told her, smiling for her benefit.  
  
"Well, that's good," Zelgadis commented. "Because by my count, we're all out of   
money, and the innkeeper just told me that if we're not out in two hours, he's gathering a   
mob…"  
  
Lina sighed. "I guess we have stayed longer than we meant to…"  
  
Amelia hopped out of bed and posed. "THOUGH ILLNESS TEMPORARILY   
STRUCK DOWN A HERO OF JUSTICE, THE DARKNESS CAN NEVER FULLY   
DAMPEN THE LIGHT OF A LONE CANDLE, BURNING AGAINST THE EVIL   
BLACKNESS OF EVIL!"  
  
"She's better," the others agreed at once.  
  
"'Evil blackness of evil?'" Zelgadis asked, handing Amelia her cape.   
  
"I've been sick! Give me a break!" she cried defensively.  
  
  
  
Max, stableboy in the small burg of Laketown, smiled as he brushed the silver   
mare's shiny coat. He hummed to himself as he worked. The boy loved the horses put in   
his charge by the Laketown Council. They were fast beasts, used by couriers on their way   
to Seyruun. Each one was perfect.  
  
He turned as he heard the sound of a horse galloping to a stop outside. A moment   
later a woman entered the stable.   
  
"You, boy!" she said, pointing at him. "Your fastest horse! Now! I'm in a hurry!"  
  
Max frowned. "Are you a courier of Seyruun? I can't give you a horse unle…"   
He stopped as the edge of a katana grazed his throat. He stifled a frightened sob.  
  
Greysword glared. "Get the message?" she asked. He nodded. "Good. Horse.   
Now." She pushed him away.  
  
Max hurriedly saddled the silver mare.  
  
  
  
Lina tested the weight of her pack and frowned. It was still uneven. She took it off   
and plopped back down on the bed in her room. Nearby, Amelia was doing likewise with   
some unwanted help from Sylphiel, who was still hovering around the girl like a mother   
hen.  
  
"Miss Sylphiel, really," Amelia complained, albeit politely. "I'm okay."  
  
"I know, I know," Sylphiel said quickly, putting a small vial of a greenish liquid in   
Amelia's pack. "I just wanted to give you this Yet's Lichen. I got it from the magic shop   
downstairs. It should help if you begin to feel weak or disoriented." She produced a   
small, folded cloth. "And this is Ranma's Wart powder. You mix it with your bath and it   
makes you…"  
  
"Hey, Sylphiel," Lina called, coming to Amelia's defense. "Can I ask you   
something?"  
  
Sylphiel paused in her rant and turned to the redhead, blinking. She smiled. "Of   
course, Miss Lina."  
  
Something had been tugging at the back of Lina's mind ever since she saw   
Sylphiel's dream world several days before. "Just curious, you've seen Zel as a human,   
right? On Zarak Tor?"  
  
Amelia looked to Sylphiel, who looked just a bit uncomfortable. "Yes…That's   
right."  
  
"So what did he look like?" Lina asked.  
  
"Um…"  
  
"I still think he looks cool the way he is!" Amelia announced.  
  
"Oh, come on!" Lina cried, nudging the room's door shut with her foot. "It's…girl   
talk." She grinned evilly. The redhead turned that grin on the shrine maiden now.   
"So…What's he look like?"  
  
Sylphiel, feeling very trapped, backed herself into a corner. "Well…He was…"  
  
"Was he handsome?!" Amelia asked. "Did he look just and heroic!?"  
  
"Well…"  
  
"Come on, Sylphiel," Lina coaxed her smugly. "Spill it."  
  
Sylphiel blushed bright red. "Well…yes," she squeaked quietly.  
  
"Yes to what?" Lina pushed.  
  
"He…was very handsome," Sylphiel elaborated, twiddling her fingers.  
  
"Oh?" Lina smirked. "Go on."  
  
"WAIT!" Amelia cried suddenly. The other two women turned in shock, expecting   
Amelia to have some sort of emergency. Instead, the princess plopped down onto her bed   
on her stomach and put her chin in her hands. "Okay! I'm ready!"  
  
Sylphiel and Lina sweatdropped.  
  
"So?" Lina continued.   
  
Sylphiel's blush continued to darken until she was the shade of a ripe tomato. She   
blinked suddenly as she remembered the last time she was in this kind of situation, when a   
fifteen year old Sylphiel Nels Lahda was telling her friends in Sairaag about a certain   
swordsman who had saved her life. They were gone, but Amelia and Lina were the closest   
female friends she had now.  
  
She smiled. "Well," she began conspiratorially, "He was the same height and   
build, but…softer. He had more roundish features too."  
  
"What else?" Amelia asked excitedly. As a princess, she hadn't had many close   
girlfriends. This was her first gossip session.  
  
"Well," Sylphiel said quickly, getting into this new girl-talk episode, "You can't   
see them, but he has some freckles on his face that make him look so ADORABLE!"  
  
Lina started to laugh hysterically. "Zel! With FRECKLES!"  
  
"I think they'd be cute!" Amelia cried, coming to Zelgadis' defense.  
  
"And you can't really tell from the stone skin, but he's quite muscular under that   
shirt," Sylphiel continued, counting off on her fingers. "And he has this soft, brown hair   
that I just LOVED to run my fingers through, and…" She looked up to find Amelia and   
Lina staring at her, a bit of red in their cheeks. The shrine maiden quickly covered her   
mouth with her hand, realizing that she said just a bit too much…  
  
"Um…Miss Sylphiel?" Amelia asked. "I don't think we needed to know that…"  
  
Lina was actually blushing. "I…um…Didn't realize the two of you had…um…that   
early… I mean…"  
  
Sylphiel had exceeded the tomato blush she had worn earlier and was now near   
meltdown. "Um…" She put her hand to hear ear. "Huh?!" she called out. "Oh! Okay,   
Zelgadis dear!" With that, she made her escape out the door and down the hall.  
  
"Well," Lina said. "That was…fun…"  
  
  
  
"Zelgadis dear? Can I ask you something?"  
  
The chimera didn't turn as he packed his belongings into his small satchel. "Sure,"   
he said.  
  
"Do you…think we moved too fast?"  
  
He blinked and turned to face her. "No," he said deadpan.   
  
The shrine maiden blinked. "You don't? I always thought you were…well…more   
old fashioned…"  
  
"I am," he told her, returning to his packing. "But if something is working well,   
why second guess how it got to be that way?" He stopped for a moment. "Um…Things are   
working well, right?" he asked just tad nervously. The chimera felt her arms wrap around   
him from behind a second later and felt the priestess press against his back. "Oh, good,"   
he said, going back to packing his pajamas.   
  
"Zelgadis dear?"   
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You…don't think…less of me…for…well…on Zarak Tor when I…um…"  
  
"Sylphiel, why would I think less of you?" he asked as he packed his underwear.  
  
"I don't know," she sighed. "I just worry about these things."  
  
Zelgadis buttoned the bag closed. "Sylphiel, if you're that worried, let me set you   
straight. With the exception of maybe Filia, you are the most prim, proper, traditional, and   
old-fashioned woman I know. Your morals are the highest of anyone I know, and I know   
that…" He broke off.  
  
"That what?" she asked.  
  
She couldn't see him blush with his back turned, but he was. "I…um…know that   
for you to…want to do…what we did…on Zarak Tor…" He was quiet for a moment.   
Sylphiel waited for him to continue. "I know that you must have loved me," he finished   
quickly. She smiled. "Because," he went on haltingly. "You…wouldn't have done it   
otherwise…"  
  
The priestess hugged him tighter. "That's sweet, Zelgadis dear," she said quietly.   
  
He coughed nervously. "Well…um…Are you all packed?"  
  
"Mmm hmm," she said, releasing him and sitting down on the bed next to his bag.   
She looked up at him with smiling, green eyes.  
  
"What about the others?" he asked, lifting his bag to his shoulder.   
  
"Miss Lina is eating one last breakfast buffet…to the innkeeper's regret," Sylphiel   
told him, still smiling.  
  
Zelgadis sighed. "Figures." He put his bag down. Sylphiel laid back on the bed   
and sighed. "How have you been sleeping?" Zelgadis asked her suddenly. "You haven't   
woken up for the past several nights."  
  
"Actually, I've been sleeping well," she told him. "Whatever Miss Lina did in my   
dreams, it seems to have worked."  
  
"And she still won't tell you?"   
  
She shook her head. "I guess it's her revenge for whatever I did to her in my   
dream."  
  
"Ah…"  
  
Sylphiel stretched out on the bed. "I liked the bed in Laketown better," she sighed.  
  
The chimera coughed nervously again. "Er…Sylphiel…"  
  
"What did you call me that morning?" she asked with a smile. "'Syl chan?'   
Wasn't it?"  
  
"Um…Yeah, I think so…" Zelgadis replied, suddenly feeling warm under the   
collar.  
  
"Zelgadis dear, would you do something for me?" Sylphiel asked.  
  
"Um…Like what?"  
  
"Would you call me that from now on?" she begged. "I like the way it sounds."  
  
He blushed. "You…want me to call you…'Syl chan?'"  
  
She smiled and nodded.  
  
"Um…In public?"  
  
Another nod.  
  
"Ah…"  
  
The shrine maiden blinked, then frowned in disappointment. "You don't have to if   
you don't want to…" she said.   
  
The chimera sighed inwardly. On the surface she was so easy to please. So it   
sounded a little embarrassing. So what? Right?  
  
He sighed again. "All right, Sylphiel," he relented, trying to smile. (It won't be so   
bad,) he thought to himself.  
  
One of Lina's belly-laughs was already echoing in his head…  
  
Sylphiel stood up and put her finger to his lips. "Syl chan," she corrected.  
  
He actually chuckled. "Syl chan," he repeated.  
  
She leaned up and gave him a kiss. "I love you, Zelgadis dear," she whispered.  
  
"I love you too, Sylph…er…Syl chan."  
  
The shrine maiden smiled, and her eyes went wide a second later. "Zelgadis dear,   
would you like me to call you, 'Zel chan,' from now on?!"  
  
A massive sweatdrop formed on the back of his head. He had to think quickly.   
"Um….'Zelgadis dear,' works for me," he said quickly, waving his hands at her.   
  
She smiled and nodded.  
  
  
  
"Well? Were they here?" Scarrin asked the werewolf.  
  
Gandrav sniffed the bed where the innkeeper told them the chimera had been   
staying. "The astral scent is here," he growled to the yellow-eyed man.  
  
"How long ago?" Zero asked.  
  
"Four hours. No more," the werewolf replied, rising to his full height.  
  
"To miss them by four hours," Zero muttered in disdain.   
  
"Means that Gandrav can track them," Scarrin finished. "Can't you?" he asked,   
walking up to the werewolf.  
  
Gandrav bared his fangs in a wolfish smile. "Easily."  
  
"Then get on it." He turned to the red-robed man. "Zero, it occurs to me that the   
tactics used during your last encounter will be insufficient. Here's what I want us to do…"  
  
  
  
Lina was frowning as she walked down the road. She was thinking back to her   
conversation with Sylphiel, which had thrown up an entirely new question that she hadn't   
considered before.  
  
Should she sl…  
  
"Oi, Lina!"   
  
Her thoughts interrupted, she turned and found Gourry walking next to her. She   
blushed madly as she was reminded of her earlier thoughts.   
  
"Lina? You okay?" he asked.  
  
"I'm fine, Gourry!" she said quickly.  
  
"Oh…Hey, so where are we headed now?"  
  
Faced with a problem she could sink her teeth into without having hentai thoughts,   
Lina thought. "We need money," she said. "Time to roll up our sleeves and waylay some   
bandits!"  
  
"Sounds like a plan!" Gourry agreed wholeheartedly. He put a hand on Lina's   
shoulder and gave it a squeeze.  
  
Caught off guard and in the middle of a rather…intimate thought, Lina reacted.  
  
"HENTAI!!! FIREBALL!!!"  
  
  
  
"They're in that direction," Gandrav told them, pointing down one fork in the rode   
that led down into a forested valley.  
  
"How can you be so sure?" Zero asked.  
  
"I'm a shaman tracker," Gandrav noted with just a touch of defense. "I can pick up   
the astral scent of anything living or dead and follow it to the ends of the universe if need   
be. That's how I know…"  
  
"It wouldn't have anything to do with THAT, would it?" Zero asked, pointing   
towards the forest.  
  
There was a loud boom in the distance, and a ball of smoke and fire rose from the   
sky near the horizon.  
  
"Well," Gandrav said nervously. "You…um…DID say Lina Inverse was with   
them…"  
  
  
  
"I…Itai…" Gourry moaned from the bottom of the crater.  
  
Lina stood on the edge of the hole, her arms folded over her chest. "Ha!" she   
cried. "Figured it out! A spell can't hurt you DIRECTLY, but that sword doesn't help you   
any if I blow up the ground at your feet, does it?!"  
  
"Itai…"  
  
"Quit milking it, you hentai!" Lina screamed.  
  
"Is it just me," Zelgadis noted, "Or is Lina a little more touchy today than usual?"  
  
"Perhaps I should try to talk to her?" Sylphiel asked.  
  
"Oh yeah!?" Lina was screaming down into the hole. "How about this!? FREEZE   
BRID!!" A chunk of ice the size of a bowling ball appeared directly over the hole and fell.  
  
"OWWW!!" Gourry cried.  
  
"Or…Maybe not," Sylphiel amended.  
  
  
  
The group walked for another hour before Sylphiel worked up enough courage to   
approach Lina. She trotted up to the front where the redhead was marching.  
  
"Miss Lina? Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm okay," Lina muttered.  
  
"Miss Lina…Don't you think you were a little hard on Gourry?"  
  
Lina bowed her head regretfully. "Yeah…I know…I guess he just caught me by   
surprise."  
  
Sylphiel blinked. "Miss Lina? Is there anything wrong? Anything you want to talk   
about?"  
  
The redhead actually growled. Taken aback, Sylphiel took a step away. She could   
hear Lina mumbling under her breath.  
  
"Great…I've killed more Mazoku than Cepheid, stole more gold than the church,   
am feared by everyone from Dynast to Deep Sea Dolphin, and now I'm going to ask for   
THE TALK from Sylphiel….SYLPHIEL!"  
  
"Miss Lina?"  
  
The sorceress growled again. "Sylphiel…Tell me about sex."  
  
You could hear a pin drop between them.  
  
Sylphiel turned deep red. Lina had already done her blushing and just wanted an   
answer.  
  
"Stop blushing!" Lina hissed at the shrine maiden. "Jeez, you even still ACT like a   
virgin!"  
  
"Miss Lina, I…" Sylphiel faltered.   
  
"Look," Lina said desperately. "I'm not asking for details. It's just that…This   
wasn't something Luna ever went into. I left home before it was…you know…necessary to   
talk about…"  
  
"Oh," Sylphiel said in understanding. "You and Gourry want to…"  
  
"This is a purely hypothetical situation!" Lina bit back.  
  
"Of course."  
  
Before Sylphiel could even begin to wonder how she was going to explain it, Lina   
was ranting again. "I mean, I'm EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD!" she cried. "You KNOW all   
the sluts back in Zephilia were putting out when they were fifteen! So TECHNICALLY   
I'm already three years behind!"  
  
"Yes, but…"  
  
"And it's MY decision, right?!" Lina went on. "I mean, it's MY body! I can do   
whatever the Hell I want with it right?!"  
  
"True, however…"  
  
"Hell! If I wanted to, I could paint it blue and dance naked for gold pennies in   
downtown Seyruun! Because when all is said and done, I'M the one making the   
decisions!"  
  
"Yes…and…"  
  
"I'm a mature adult, dammit!" Lina went on. "And if I want to…experiment…a   
little, I should be able to! I've done my bit for king and country! What am I?! That Devil   
Hunter in the action-adventure novels!? What'shername?!"  
  
"Yohko, but…"  
  
"Yeah! What?! I have to STAY a virgin forever?! I love Gourry, dammit! And   
there's nothing wrong with me wanting to express that to him however the Hell I want!"  
  
Sylphiel was silent.  
  
"Well?!"  
  
"Oh," Sylphiel began. "Well, if you want MY opinion, I think…"  
  
"Who the Hell does society think they are, anyway?!" Lina cried angrily. "You   
can't CONDEMN someone for expressing how they feel!"  
  
"I feel the…"  
  
"And you know what!?" Lina asked. "I'm not going to let someone else tell ME,   
LINA INVERSE, what to do with MY body or MY boyfriend!"  
  
Sylphiel was silent again.  
  
"Thanks, Sylphiel," Lina said. "This talk really helped."  
  
"Um…No problem, Miss Lina!" the shrine maiden said quickly.  
  
  
  
Walking not far behind the pair, three people sweatdropped.  
  
Gourry looked kind of pale at the thought. Zelgadis rested a hand on his shoulder   
and squeezed it reassuringly. "My friend…You are so screwed."  
  
The swordsman nodded pitifully.  
  
Amelia grinned and patted his other arm. "Gambatte, Mister Gourry!"  
  
  
  
The horse under her was practically gasping for breath. Greysword kicked it with   
her spurs again, not giving it any choice but continue forward. Her lead with the other Lina   
Inverse may have been false, but if she hurried, she could catch up to the others…  
  
And kill that god damn Mazoku once and for all.  
  
  
  
Gourry was lying on his bed readying the lastest issue of "Swords and Swording."   
It was a slow night. Everyone else was asleep, and he had the whole room all to himself.  
  
He was considering just turning in and going to sleep when he heard a soft tapping   
at his door. He lowered his magazine and blinked.  
  
"Um…Who's there?"  
  
"Gourry?" he heard Lina's soft voice whisper from the other side of the door.   
"It…It's me…Lina."  
  
The blond man blinked. "Lina?"  
  
"Please?" she begged. "Can I come inside? I…I need you…"  
  
She sounded so helpless…so vulnerable…  
  
He smiled gently. "Sure, Lina. Come on in."  
  
Suddenly, the door burst open as Lina kicked it down from the other side! The   
redhead marched in wearing a leather thong, bra, some chains, and not much else! She   
raised a black leather bullwhip over her head and cracked it loudly.  
  
"OJOUSAMA TO OYOUBI!!" she screamed.  
  
  
  
Gourry sat up in his sleeping roll and screamed, pulling his blanket up to his chin to   
hide and shaking like a leaf. His eyes darted from side to side, searching for signs of a   
redhead in leather.  
  
Lina was sleeping not far away, closer to the campfire than he was. She was   
curled up under her blanket, snoring loudly.  
  
It had just been a dream.   
  
The Chibi Zelgadis appeared on his shoulder.  
  
"Oh, Cepheid, not again," Gourry moaned.  
  
Chibi Zelgadis shook his head. "What kind of man are you? You just found out that   
she WANTS you, and hear you are crying like a little girl. You sicken me…"  
  
Chibi Amelia appeared on his other shoulder. "Yeah, Mister Gourry, that IS pretty   
freak'n lame…"  
  
"I thought you were supposed to be my GOOD side!" Gourry accused her.  
  
"Yes," Chibi Amelia said. "But because I'm a part of you, that means I love Miss   
Lina too." She smiled. "And quite frankly, me and the other parts of your mind are rather   
disappointed in you."  
  
"You've known her for more than three years," Chibi Zelgadis told him   
disdainfully. "Look at her! She's a beautiful eighteen year old woman who loves you!"  
  
Chibi Amelia nodded in agreement. "And all we've been hearing in your brain is,   
'Oh! I'm so scared! I'm a weak little girl!'"  
  
"Hey!" Gourry cried indignantly.  
  
"Stop being such a whiny little bitch," Chibi Zelgadis told him.  
  
"Be a man for Cepheid's sake!" Chibi Amelia hounded him.  
  
"And how the Hell am I supposed to do that?!"  
  
Chibi Sylphiel appeared on top of his head. "Hi! It's me again!" she announced.   
"Gourry dear, as the man in this relationship, YOU have to be the one that goes to HER."  
  
"Since when?!"  
  
"Since you kissed her! Now get a move on!" The tiny priestess bopped him on the   
head with her scepter. The three chibi guides disappeared.  
  
Gourry sighed and looked up at Lina again. Apparently, she hadn't been disturbed   
by his conversation with his partially psychotic mind…  
  
  
  
Lina growled as she waited.   
  
(Come on, you doofus, DO SOMETHING!) she thought at him, as if maybe he   
would pick up her thoughts and do something. Walk over and wake her up. Kiss her   
goodnight.   
  
SOMETHING!  
  
Her eyes went wide a second later. (You idiot!) she shouted at herself. (Zelgadis,   
Sylphiel, and Amelia are only a few yards away! You can't let him….well…YOU   
KNOW!)  
  
She heard Gourry rise from his bedroll.  
  
(No! Gourry! Not yet! Not here!) she begged quietly. What if his shoulder finally   
pushed him over the edge! What if he was so mad with love and lust that he didn't care   
who was around!   
  
Footsteps were getting closer…  
  
What if he decides he simply can't wait any longer and climbs into her sleeping   
roll!? What was she supposed to do?! How would she?! How COULD she?! The others   
were only a few feet away!   
  
Maybe she should kill them!   
  
Yeah! That way there wouldn't be any witnesses!  
  
She could…  
  
The footsteps! They were here!  
  
She shut her eyes!  
  
The footsteps walked by her.   
  
(Huh?!) She opened her eyes and strained her hearing. Gourry was at the other   
side of their small camp. She heard a zipping sound from that direction…  
  
Then the sound of flowing water.  
  
Gourry whistling to himself…  
  
Lina shut her eyes and started to growl.   
  
(That….IDIOT!)  
  
Here she was! All innocent and cute and vulnerable! And the first thing he decides   
to do is TAKE A LEAK!?  
  
The footsteps walked by her again. She heard Gourry plop back down into his   
sleeping roll and sigh. A few minutes later….snoring.  
  
"I'm going to kill him," she muttered. "I swear it. I'm going to beat the crap out of   
him with a shovel! I swear!"  
  
  
  
"Good morning!" Gourry cried with a smile as Lina sat down next to the fire and   
yawned.   
  
She looked over at him, her eyes narrow slits. "You are a stupid, stupid man…"  
  
The swordsman blinked and scratched his head.  
  
Sylphiel poured some soup into a metal cup and handed it to the sorceress. The sun   
was out though it was still early. They'd have to start moving before too long.   
  
Lina brought the cup to her lips and paused as something caught her eye. "Zel...The   
trees on your left…"  
  
The chimera sat there nonchalantly sipping his own soup. "I saw them. There's   
also two in the trees behind you."  
  
"And one to their right," Gourry remarked.  
  
Sylphiel handed a cup to Amelia, the two seemingly oblivious to what Lina and the   
two men were talking about.  
  
"Berserkers by the look of them," Lina commented quietly from behind her soup   
cup. "Either of you see Zero or Greysword?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Nope."  
  
She nodded. "Well, that's good…FIREBALL!!!" The trees behind which she had   
seen two berserkers hiding exploded, throwing the reptiles to either side. Several more   
took that as their signal to attack and jumped out from the trees on all sides.  
  
"DISLASH!" Zelgadis cried, firing several blades of light from his hands. Two   
more berserkers fell.  
  
Two more of the monsters charged Gourry, their scimitars raised for an overhand   
slash. The swordsman gave them a half-smile and drew his sword in a quick slash! The   
blades of the berserkers' swords fell to the ground, sliced neatly by Gourry's sword. The   
monsters turned and charged the swordsman again…  
  
Three more advanced on Amelia and Sylphiel. The princess posed and pointed at   
the creatures. "IN THE NAME OF JUSTI…"  
  
Most creatures would wait until she was finished. The berserkers got tired of it   
LONG before that. They rushed forward.  
  
Thrown off guard, Amelia hesitated.  
  
Sylphiel raised her hands. "VU VRAIMER!!!" A stone stallion rose from the   
ground between them, facing Sylphiel and Amelia. The golem whinnied, then kicked with   
its hind legs! The berserkers went flying. The remaining reptilians started to run.  
  
"Good horsey!" Sylphiel said with a smile, patting its snout.  
  
Lina sighed before growling. "I'm not going to ask who taught that to you," she   
muttered bitterly as the stallion reverted to a pile of rocks and dirt.  
  
"Stop wasting time!" Zelgadis growled. "Those things weren't the main attack!   
They were meant to slow us down! We have to get moving!"  
  
"How do you know that, Mister Zelgadis?"  
  
The chimera turned and started rolling up his sleeping bag. "Because," he growled.   
"I used the same damn method against Lina."  
  
Lina blinked. That's right. Zelgadis HAD used berserkers to slow her and Gourry   
down when he was working for Rezo trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone. "He's right,"   
she said. "Let's get out of here. We'll eat later."  
  
  
  
Floating three hundred feet in the air, his eye in a short field telescope, Zero   
watched Greywords and the others break camp. He lowered the scope and disappeared a   
second later, only to reappear next to Scarrin and Gandrav in their own encampment   
below.  
  
"They're on the move," he said quickly.  
  
"Map," Scarrin ordered. A berserker unfolded a map and placed it on a small,   
folding field table. "They'll try for the nearest town," he said. "Gandrav?"  
  
The werewolf examined the map and growled. "The nearest town is Carvalho, but   
to get there they'd have to take this valley that leads to the east." He pointed at its location   
on the map. "But I wouldn't wish that kind of trip on my worst enemy."  
  
"They won't see themselves as having a choice," Scarrin assured him. "Zero, you   
and I will take half our berserkers to this point…" He pointed out a place on the map   
signifying a rugged stone valley. "Gandrav will take the other half and push them in that   
direction."  
  
The two nodded.  
  
  
  
Zelgadis hit the ground and turned, raising his arms to catch Sylphiel as she hopped   
down from the rock outcropping above. He quickly steadied her and turned to catch   
Amelia. Gourry caught Lina and they started quickly down the forested hill.  
  
"So where exactly are we going, anyway?" Amelia asked.  
  
"We have to make it to a town and hole up," Lina told her. "I don't want to get   
caught out in the open here if Zero or Greysword show up."  
  
At that point, Sylphiel let out a cry as her foot slipped. A log started rolling down   
the hill, making enough noise to let anyone for miles around to know they were there. The   
priestess landed on her butt with a cry.  
  
"Itai…" she said, rubbing her backside.  
  
"Shh!" Lina shushed.  
  
"I'm sorry," Sylphiel said. "I didn…"  
  
"No! I mean now! Hush!" She held her finger up, warning everyone to be quiet.   
"Anyone else hear that?"  
  
Zelgadis strained his senses as far as he could. Then he heard it.   
  
The sound of metal clanking against metal…  
  
Kind of like a bunch of men in armor running in their direction.  
  
"Shit!" Zelgadis growled turning to look back up the ridge. Six berserkers had   
cleared the ridge and were aiming bows at them.   
  
"FIREBALL!" Lina cried, hurling a ball of flaming death at the reptiles. The   
fireball exploded at the base of the ridge, engulfing the berserkers in an explosion.  
  
"There are probably more on the way," Amelia pointed out.  
  
"Then let's not let the grass grow under our feet," Lina replied seriously. She   
started back down the hill at a fast clip. The others followed except for Zelgadis, who   
paused for a moment before rushing back up the hill.  
  
"Zelgadis dear?" Sylphiel inquired, turning to see that he wasn't with them. She   
started up the hill after him. "Zelgadis dear? What is it?"  
  
The chimera looked around for a moment before finding what he sought; one of the   
berserker's bodies. He rolled the dead reptilian onto its back and examined its blood-  
stained tunic.   
  
Sylphiel finally caught up to him and touched his shoulder. "Zelgadis dear? What   
is it?"  
  
Zelgadis took a breath. "I didn't think to check before," he whispered.   
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
He pointed at a small patch on the creature's leather tunic. The small, square patch   
sported a red "R."  
  
"These are my berserkers," he said.  
  
"What do you mean, YOUR berserkers?" she asked in puzzlement.  
  
"I mean," he said quietly, "They're from the same tribe that swore its allegiance to   
Rezo in exchange for saving them from a plague. The same tribe I used when I was hunting   
Lina and Gourry…"  
  
Sylphiel swallowed and squeezed his shoulder. "Come on, Zelgadis dear," she   
whispered. "Let's catch up to the others…"  
  
"They shouldn't be here," he whispered, ignoring her.   
  
"Please, Zelgadis dear. We'll work this out later."  
  
For a second, she thought she was going to have to drag him away, but finally he   
turned and started back down the hill. She gave the berserker one last glance before   
hurrying after him.  
  
  
  
"I don't like it," Zelgadis said bitterly, looking down at the gully below them. "It   
FEELS like a trap."  
  
"This is the quickest way through to Carvalho," Lina told him. "It's either this or   
another day of climbing through the foothills."  
  
The chimera leaned against a nearby boulder and took a breath. The gully WAS the   
quickest way through to the next town, and they WERE being pursued…  
  
He still didn't like it.  
  
The others were still eating a hasty lunch. Gourry chewed thoughtfully on a piece   
of travelbread. "Well," he mumbled through the bread, "So far we haven't seen Zero or   
Greysword…Maybe they're still behind us."  
  
"And maybe they're not," Zelgadis pointed out. "Maybe they're down there,   
waiting for us."  
  
"Zel, the sun is going to be down in two hours. If we don't get to Carvalho before   
then, we're going to be stuck up here for the night, and I do NOT want to be ambushed in a   
mountain pass in the middle of the night by Cepheid knows how many berserkers,   
Greysword, and Zero. If they're down there, I'd rather face them now while we still have   
the light and a CHANCE that they're not down there at all."  
  
"And I'd rather face them on my own terms than be HERDED into a trap!"   
Zelgadis argued.  
  
Gourry and Amelia watched the debate go back and forth. Finally, it was Sylphiel   
who put an end to it.  
  
"Zelgadis dear, I think Miss Lina is right. How do we know that they've been   
herding us HERE? What if they've been trying to slow us down and keep us AWAY from   
this path?" The chimera didn't look convinced. "The point is we just don't know,"   
Sylphiel went on. "And Miss Lina has always led us on the right path before. Shouldn't   
we trust her judgement on this?"  
  
He said nothing.  
  
"The longer we delay, the…" Lina started to say when Zelgadis cut her off.   
  
"Fine," he said curtly. He started down the path towards the gully.  
  
"Zelgadis dear," Sylphiel started after him, but Lina grabbed her arm.  
  
"Let him sulk," Lina advised. "It's his way."  
  
Sylphiel watched as he walked off. "Zelgadis dear…"  
  
  
  
Zero looked down into the gully and waited. He had his doubts about this plan, but   
it was hardly up to him to criticize Lord Scarrin. The sounds of a horse galloping his way   
caused him to turn. He shook his head and smiled. He should've expected this…  
  
Greysword, looking exhausted and sweaty, climbed off of a panting, slavering   
horse and rushed towards him. "The berserker at the base of the gully told me everything,"   
she said, searching the valley with her eyes. "What is Scarrin thinking?"  
  
"LORD Scarrin," Zero said curtly, "Is thinking why risk losing them when   
negotiation might work just as well."  
  
"Negotiating with a Mazoku like that?" she bit out. "I prefer my idea…" She   
started for the path leading downwards, but Zero took her arm.  
  
"We're back-up," he told her. The woman glared at him, and the red priest   
wannabe smiled. "Please, Miss Greysword," he said, "Don't you trust Lord Scarrin? He   
has everything planned out. Trust him."  
  
She took a breath. "Fine," she said, sitting down. "But don't say I didn't warn   
you."  
  
  
  
Zelgadis scanned the sides of the valley as he walked, his hand on his sword. They   
had been walking for forty-five minutes. Another half an hour and they'd be out. The   
sooner the better. He tossed a look at Lina and found her also searching the walls for   
reptilian faces. At least she wasn't being overconfident about this.  
  
He threw a quick look over his shoulder at Sylphiel. The priestess didn't look very   
happy. He wondered what was bothering her. His thoughts went back to the berserker he   
had found. Perhaps it was just coincidence. After all, once Rezo died, they would've been   
left to their own devices. Maybe they hired themselves out as mercenaries, or…  
  
A stone moved to his right. He stopped. "Lina," he said quietly.  
  
"I see them," she muttered. "Dammit."  
  
"I really hate it when I'm right, you know," he told her with a slight smile, letting   
her know there wasn't a grudge.  
  
She smiled back. "Don't worry, Zel. You're not right all that often…"  
  
"It's them, isn't it?" Sylphiel asked.  
  
Gourry drew his sword. "Is it Greysword?" he asked, eager for another chance at   
the swordswoman.  
  
Before someone could answer him, berserkers were filling the gully in front and   
behind them.  
  
"Mister Zelgadis," Amelia whimpered, "I really hate it when you're right too…"  
  
The berserkers raised their weapons but made no move towards them.   
  
"Sylphiel," Lina whispered in low tones, "If I Dragon Slave the ones in front of us,   
can you get the ones behind?"  
  
"I…I think so…"  
  
"Darkness beyond twilight…"  
  
Before Lina could say more, the berserkers in front of them parted, allowing a man   
in black to step forward.   
  
An image of Zelgadis disappearing in a cloud of black smoke shot into Sylphiel's   
mind. She gasped. "It's him."  
  
"Zelgadis Greywords?" the yellow-eyed man asked with a smile. "You're a hard   
chimera to find."  
  
Zelgadis' eyes narrowed. "Have we met?" he asked.  
  
The man smiled again. "I am Scarrin, and no, we've never met." He waved his   
hand, and the berserkers on either side of them backed away. Only a werewolf remained   
behind them, blocking their escape. "I apologize for my methods, but I've been searching   
for you for a long time."  
  
"So you've found me," Zelgadis congratulated him. "Kudos."  
  
Scarrin smiled.   
  
"Now if you don't mind, we'll be on our way."  
  
"There IS something we must discuss first, Zelgadis," Scarrin told him.   
  
"I've nothing to discuss with you," Zelgadis replied deadpan.  
  
"Not even your cure?" Scarrin asked.  
  
The chimera blinked. It was then that he noticed Scarrin's yellow eyes.   
  
"Yes," Scarrin said quietly. He pointed at his eye. "As you can see, I'm a   
chimera too. Human…tiger…and one other part. A part we share."  
  
Zelgadis said nothing.   
  
"Oi…Lina," Gourry whispered. "What's going on?"  
  
"Gourry, for the first time since we've met, you know as much as I do," the redhead   
whispered back.   
  
"Zelgadis dear," Sylphiel whispered fearfully.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Zelgadis asked the chimera before him.  
  
"You believe you are one-third human," Scarrin told him. "This simply isn't so."  
  
"What are you talking about?!" the chimera demanded. "Dammit! Stop speaking   
in riddles!"  
  
"You are, in fact, ONE-FOURTH human," Scarrin explained. "Human…blue   
demon…golem…" He paused. "Mazoku."  
  
Zelgadis shook his head in disbelief. His eyes were wide. "You're lying," he   
whispered quietly. "You can't make a chimera with a Mazoku…"  
  
"You can," Scarrin assured him, "And Rezo did…Six times."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Such a complicated…experimental process…" Scarrin commented. "Did you   
honestly think that you were the FIRST one?" Zelgadis was floored. He looked back at   
Sylphiel who looked at him in complete shock. "Oh, don't look so distraught, Zelgadis!"   
Scarrin went on. "The amount of Mazoku in you wouldn't fit in a thimble! It's merely   
there as a kind of glue."  
  
"Shut up," Zelgadis whispered.  
  
"We are BROTHERS, Zelgadis!" Scarrin hissed.   
  
"Shut up."  
  
Scarrin regarded him for a moment. "That's hardly any way for a man to speak to   
someone who wants to grant him his salvation."  
  
"I said SHUT UP!" The chimera glared at the yellow-eyed man. "You attack us,   
torture Gourry, and now I'm supposed to believe you want to help me?!"  
  
"I apologize for my methods," Scarrin said remorsefully. "You have to understand   
that we ARE eager to right the wrongs committed by Rezo. Not just for you, but for the   
others. Some of my associates were…overzealous. I apologize."  
  
Zelgadis eyed him. "Help me how?" he asked.  
  
"Zelgadis dear!" Sylphiel cried urgently.  
  
Scarrin smiled. "We want to make you whole again…human."  
  
"How?"   
  
"The Mazoku portion of you…it's minute, but it acts as a type of glue keeping the   
other parts of you working as a coherent being. Very advanced work. Rezo and Eris were   
rather proud of it, as I recall. Without the Mazoku portion, the other pieces fall away."  
  
"And?"  
  
The yellow-eyed chimera's eyes were predatory as he smiled. "We want to take it   
out of you."  
  
"Tell me how I do it."  
  
"The process is very complicated," Scarrin told him, stalling. "If you were to   
accompany us back our lab, we could begin right away."  
  
Zelgadis eyed him. The others watched the two chimeras carefully, wondering   
which way the pendulum was going to swing.  
  
Could this really be the key to reversing his curse?  
  
He took a breath.   
  
"Screw him, Zel!" Lina growled. "If this is what he REALLY wanted, he   
could've sent you a letter! Instead he's been hunting us like wild animals! Maybe you DO   
have a piece of Mazoku in you, but if you do, he wants it for something else!"  
  
"We want to kill it, and let you finally find peace," Scarrin assured him quietly.   
He took a step towards Zelgadis. "You're a young man, Zelgadis. The youngest of the six,   
and the last one aside from myself. There's still time for you." Zelgadis listened to him,   
still unsure. "You can still have a life of your own. A home…wife and kids…a normal,   
quiet life…"  
  
The chimera looked over his shoulder at Sylphiel. She was looking at him   
fearfully. A wife…kids…a normal, quiet life…   
  
"How do I know you're telling the truth?" he asked, turning back to Scarrin. "For   
all I know Lina's right, and you want the Mazoku piece for something else."  
  
"You're just going to have to trust me," Scarrin told him quietly. "I know how you   
feel. I was the first. So I know how distrustful you are of others. Let me help you." He   
reached out with his hand.   
  
"Please? Trust me?"  
  
Zelgadis looked at the man, unsure of what to do. Behind him, Lina, Gourry,   
Amelia, and Sylphiel watched on, ready to assist however they could.  
  
"Zelgadis dear?" Sylphiel asked quietly.  
  
The chimera looked at the yellow-eyed man, at his outstretched hand. Slowly, he   
reached out to him…  
  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Once again, a conversation about boxing inspired by "Coming to America." Star Trek is   
the property of Gene Roddenberry.  
  
"Ojousama to oyoubi," is a Tenchi Muyo in-joke. The phrase means, "Call me princess!"  



	15. Contest! Both of You Dance Like You Wan...

Slayers belongs to Kadokawa Shoten.  
  
NAGA: You know, I've never been accused of a crime I've never committed before. Usually, all   
the crimes I'm accused of were actually committed by me!  
  
SHADOW LINA: I don't REMEMBER pulling a dine and dash….Oh well! Whatever!  
  
FILIA: "Whatever?!" How are we going to pay this bill!?  
  
XELLOS: Did somebody say… "tango?!"  
  
  
Faces: After!  
Part 15  
Contest!  
Both of You Dance Like You Wanna Win!  
  
  
  
  
"Saldellia!" Naga announced grandly, throwing her arms wide. "Vacation capital of the   
world! Well…at least this part of it, anyway…"  
  
The other Flaming Heroes ooh'd and ahh'd at the many luxury resorts up and down the main   
thoroughfare.   
  
"I don't care how wonderful it is," Filia said in exhaustion. "It took us a week to get here.   
I just want a hot bath and a warm bed." She counted to three. "SHUT UP, NAMAGOMI!" she   
screamed at the three count, pulling her mace. "Huh?" she asked blinking. She had mentioned a   
bath and a bed, and Xellos HADN'T tried to weasel his way into either of them with what he liked   
to call his 'charm?'  
  
"Lord Xellos disappeared again," Amara commented, looking from side to side. "He's   
been doing that a lot lately. I hope everything is all right."  
  
Filia sniffed. "It just proves that all that stuff he said about wanting to be near me was just   
another of his twisted little games! Maybe now he's finally gotten tired of it and gone to play   
somewhere else."  
  
"I hope he's okay. It can be dangerous all alone," Shadow Lina remarked.  
  
"Xellos is fine!" Filia assured them. "He's probably out throwing kittens down a well or   
something…"  
  
"YOU!"  
  
They all turned to see a man in a chef's hat pointing a rather large kitchen knife at Shadow   
Lina.   
  
"Um…Hi?" Shadow Lina tried with a short wave.  
  
The chef was suddenly backed up by several men in waiter's uniforms, all brandishing a   
rolling pin or some other form of make-shift weapon. The Flaming Heroes soon found themselves   
surrounded.  
  
"You red-headed eating machine of death!" the chef cried. "First you eat up my entire   
inventory, then you run out on the check, NOW YOU HAVE THE GALL TO COME BACK?!"  
  
Shadow Lina did what she usually did in cases like this.   
  
She sniffled and started to cry.  
  
"Now wait a second!" Amara cried. "What are you talking about?! We've never even   
been to this town before!"  
  
"Don't try to con your way out of it!" the chef screamed. "That little witch owes me three   
hundred goldpieces!"  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"But how could that be!?" Filia asked.  
  
  
  
Meanwhile…  
  
  
  
As the group started down into the gully in an attempt to reach Carvalho before nightfall,   
Gourry leaned over to Lina and whispered. "Oi, Lina…What about after we get there? How are   
we going to pay for a place to stay?"  
  
Lina waved the thought aside. "Don't worry. I still have some money left."  
  
"I thought our stay at Saldellia wiped us out," Amelia remarked.  
  
"Nah!" Lina said with a grin. "The chef tried to cheat me on the breakfast buffet!" Her face   
grew serious. "Tried to make me pay DOUBLE! So on our last morning, I dashed on him…"  
  
"YOU PULLED A DINE AND DASH?!" Amelia cried.  
  
"THE SIGN SAID 'ALL YOU CAN EAT!'" Lina threw back. "He was just mad because I   
took him up on it!"  
  
"Oh, Miss Lina…" Sylphiel whispered, shaking her head.  
  
  
  
Back in Saldellia…  
  
  
  
As the angry inn staff closed in on the Flaming Heroes, Shadow Lina did the only thing she   
could to defend herself…  
  
She sniffled and started to cry.   
  
Naga, however, had a better idea. "Jeffrey," she began, "The crazy, knife-wielding maniac   
wants to hurt Lina. How does that make you feel?"  
  
Jeffrey growled and drew Razor Blade. "YOU FOUL-HEARTED BEASTS!" he cried at   
the wait staff. "FEEL THE WRATH OF RAZOR BLADE!!" He screamed and charged them,   
taking a mighty swing at them!  
  
At which point one of the waiters tripped him, knocked him to the ground, and began   
pummeling Jeffrey with three of his buddies.  
  
The fight lasted for more than a minute. Naga kept tapping her foot, her eye twitching.   
"Where the Hell is Josephine?!" she cried finally.  
  
"I don't think Miss Josephine is coming back," Shadow Lina remarked quietly.  
  
Naga sighed. "Wonderful…"  
  
  
Filia growled as she attacked the soaking plates before her. Dish washing…DISH   
WASHING! She had gone from priestess of the Fire Dragon King to DISH WASHER! How   
could this have happened?! HOW?! Why was SHE so unfortunate!?  
  
AND WHY WASN'T NAGA WORKING WITH THEM?!  
  
Of course, as usual, Amara was making things worse.  
  
"And you scrub the dish!" Amara sang, "And you add some soap!" She dunked the plate in   
the sink. "And then you washawashawashawasha!"  
  
The younger dragon growled and smacked Amara in the back of the head! "Will you cut   
that out!?" Filia demanded.  
  
"And then you washawashawashawasha!" Shadow Lina sang from the other side of her.   
  
"Great! Now you've got HER doing it!" Filia cried, pulling off her hairnet.   
  
"Never fear! Naga is here!"  
  
They all turned to see their employer's scantily clad form, complete with hairnet and dish   
gloves standing at the kitchen entrance.   
  
"Where have you been?" Filia asked irritably.  
  
"I have been out finding our salvation!" Naga exclaimed. She pulled a folded piece of   
paper from between her breasts and unfolded it, holding out to them.   
  
"KARAOKE AND DANCE CONTEST?!" the Flaming Heroes asked in confusion,   
reading the paper.  
  
"The grand prize is five hundred gold coins!" Naga replied gleefully. "That's more than   
enough to put us on top!"  
  
"No! No way! Forget it!" Filia cried. "Let's just do our dishes and leave!"  
  
"Fine," Naga said with a shrug. "But according to the chef, all five of us working here full   
time will still take a week to earn enough to pay off that debt!"  
  
"What did you eat, anyway?!" Filia asked Shadow Lina sharply. The shadow cringed.  
  
"If we all enter, one of us is bound to win!"  
  
"Well…" Filia began unsure of herself, "I guess I can sing…"  
  
"So can I!" Shadow Lina replied, throwing her hand up excitedly.  
  
"My Mommy taught me to dance!" Jeffrey said in support.  
  
"I'll try!" Amara threw in.  
  
"Then it's settled," Xellos spoke up from behind Naga.  
  
"Lord Xellos!" Amara cried, stars dancing in her eyes. Filia just growled to herself, her   
eye twitching spasmodically. "Where have you been?!" the older dragon asked worriedly. "We   
fear for your safety!"  
  
Xellos actually looked uncomfortable. "I had some thinking to do…" He looked up as   
Filia started marching toward him, rage all over her face. "Ah! Filia chan! Going to give me a   
welcome back kiss!?" He grinned.  
  
She reached out suddenly and grabbed him by the ear, yanking him towards the sink. "Get   
over here and do your part, namagomi!" she snarled at him. She put a hairnet over his head and   
put a sponge in his hand.  
  
"Yareyare…"  
  
"Excellent!" Naga cried joyfully. "Tonight we end our indentured servitude and set back   
upon our road to GLORY!!! OOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!"  
  
  
  
Wesley Gusher sat behind his little table and helped new contestants register for the   
Karaoke and Dance contest. Every year it was the same old thing. The high-class, well-to-do   
vacationers would sign up, stumble threw a few lines of "Give a Reason," then claim their five   
hundred gold coin prize which usually went to tip the stable boy since the vacationers were usually   
rich enough not to need it.  
  
It was always so boring…  
  
He looked up as a shadow fell over his table.   
  
"Um…Is the circus in town or something?"  
  
Naga smiled while the other Flaming Heroes sighed. "No," she said. "We're here to   
register."  
  
He looked over these new contestants. A scantily clad woman with giant breasts. A set of   
blondes. A redhead. A creepy guy in black robes. And a man dressed like Prince Phil on a bad   
day.  
  
A smile spread across Wesley's face. "Of course!" he said brightly. "Just sign up here   
and what you're going to perform! Please remember that you can sing and dance ONCE. No one   
can sing twice or dance twice. Got it?"  
  
"No problem!" Naga cried, grabbing a pen and signing up under the singing section along   
with the name of the song she'd be performing. Shadow Lina was next, also signing up to sing.   
Jeffrey signed up to dance. Filia and Amara were next, signing up to sing a duet.   
  
That left Xellos.  
  
The trickster priest took the clipboard and looked over it. "Hmmm…'Reflection,'" he   
read. He mumbled over a few other titles and stifled a laugh.   
  
"Will you just sign up for something!?" Filia demanded impatiently.   
  
Xellos grinned. "Of course, Little Dragon." He clicked the pen and jotted down what he   
would be doing. Signing his name with a flourish, he handed the clipboard back to Wesley.  
  
"Now we're going to need costumes," Amara commented as the group started down the   
hall. Xellos smiled and started after him when Wesley suddenly stopped him.  
  
"Excuse me, Sir," the man said, holding up the clipboard. The others were already out of   
earshot. "You forgot to put down your partner's name."  
  
"Oh! Silly me!" Xellos cried. Taking the board and pen back he quickly jotted down the   
name, 'Filia Ul Copt,' and handed it back to him.  
  
"Which one was Miss Filia, if you don't mind my asking, Sir?" Wesley asked him.  
  
"The blonde under the hat."  
  
Wesley read over Xellos' entry again and swallowed, dabbing at his brow with a   
handkerchief. "You're a lucky man, Sir," he commented.  
  
"Yes! I suppose I am!" the priest remarked, whistling as he followed the others down the   
hall.  
  
  
  
Filia sat under a tree near the lake, watching quietly as Jeffrey helped Shadow Lina   
rehearse. The redhead could actually SING. Filia never would've believed it if she hadn't heard   
it herself. She watched as Shadow Lina started giggling at Jeffrey's attempt to dance. Apparently,   
he was planning on doing some folk dance from his homeland…  
  
Something about the river…  
  
She sighed. Filia knew she would never have that kind of simple, pure relationship with a   
man. Young love, for her, was over. She had baby Val to take care of and now Xellos to deal   
with.  
  
"Filia?"  
  
Turning, she saw Amara approaching.   
  
"Are you okay?"   
  
"I'm fine," Filia told her. "Just depressed, I guess."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You know," the dragon sighed, "I never really considered a love life. It wasn't until after   
I left the temple and set up my shop that I began to realize that I could have one now." She   
growled. "But why can't I attract NICE men!? Instead I get raw sewage like Xellos!"  
  
"Lord Xellos would make a wonderful husband!" Amara retorted, coming to the Mazoku's   
defense.  
  
"Will you knock that off!?" Filia cried up at her angrily. "Dammit, Amara! Look past that   
Amalgamationist brainwashing for a few seconds and see him for what he really is! He's a   
monster!"  
  
"I know he's a Mazoku," Amara told her calmly. "But I also know that they're the ideal   
mates."  
  
"You've really lost your mind," Filia growled.  
  
"No! Seriously! I researched it!" Amara knelt on the ground next to Filia. "There's so   
much you don't know about their race! Their culture!"  
  
"They're incapable of love!"  
  
"So what?!" Amara snapped angrily. Filia actually blinked in surprise at her tone.   
"Love? LOVE?!" the older dragon demanded. "Love is a primitive chemical reaction that tricks   
us into reproducing! It has no value!"  
  
"How can you say that?" Filia whispered. "Love is…"  
  
"What?!" Amara growled. "Beautiful? Wonderful? It's nothing more than a chain!   
Mazoku are better off for not feeling it!"  
  
Filia shook her head. "I refuse to believe it. I refuse to believe you could be in a   
relationship without love! Let alone a marriage!"  
  
Amara laughed.  
  
LAUGHED.  
  
Filia frowned. "You think Mazoku are so wonderful that you'd be willing to spend the rest   
of your life with one!" she cried accusingly. "Why?! What could be so wonderful about   
something so evil that you'd so willing throw yourself at one!"  
  
"Because they are the PERFECT mates!" Amara hissed. Filia blinked. "A Mazoku male   
is totally devoted to his mate because he views her as the means by which he becomes immortal!   
The way that a piece of him will be present at the end of the world, what all Mazoku want! The   
well being of the female SUPERCEDES his own! SHE becomes HIS life! A Mazoku male will   
NEVER leave his mate! He will never put her at risk! He will never ignore her or betray her!"   
Tears formed in the dragon's eyes and a sob crept up in her throat. "Never…never get angry and   
hit her! Or tell her she's worthless!"  
  
Filia's eyes were wide as she listened. "Amara…"  
  
"And if protecting his mate means he has to die, he'll die!" Amara cried. "Because   
SHE'S important to him! Important enough to…" The dragon broke off and jumped to her feet and   
turned to leave.  
  
"Amara! Wait!" Filia cried, reaching out to her sister.  
  
"Love?!" Amara sobbed. She turned again and looked down at her sister, anger and pain   
written all over her face. "Wake up, Filia! Love is just a dream!" With that, she started running   
towards the inn.  
  
Standing on a branch in the tree above them, Xellos watched Amara run off and sighed. He   
could feel the feelings of pain emanating from the woman. He fed off them. Why not? They were   
already there. He hadn't caused them or anything.   
  
Xellos knew what he had just seen. The future. If he took Filia by force as Metallium   
wanted, the dragon would feel the same anger, pain, and betrayal that Amara felt. And if he   
didn't…  
  
There were two rules in direct confrontation with one another in Xellos' mind, railing at   
him to act as THEY dictated. One rule concerned a Mazoku's behavior toward his mate.  
  
(Thou shalt not harm.)  
  
Another concerned his relationship with his overlord, Metallium.  
  
(Thou shalt not disobey.)  
  
If only Filia were a Mazoku woman. It was EXPECTED of a male to be forced to take a   
Mazoku mate by force. Necessary. Hell, vital to his survival!   
  
But Filia wasn't a Mazoku. And if he took her as Metallium had ordered, he'd be violating   
that first rule.  
  
If he didn't, he would be violating the second.  
  
So which came first?  
  
It was close, but he knew which rule had to be obeyed above all others. The rule   
Shabranigdo had etched into their very beings when he first created them.  
  
If only he could delay a little longer. If only Filia would come to him willingly. If only…  
  
If only he hadn't been stupid enough, arrogant enough, to make that damn promise…  
  
It no longer mattered. He couldn't disobey Metallium. It was a concept as alien to him as   
love.   
  
And he could no longer delay.  
  
  
  
  
Wesley stepped out on stage and basked in the spotlight. "Ladies and gentlemen!" he   
called out to the vacationers sitting at the various tables spaced around the dance floor below.   
"Welcome to the Sixth Annual Saldellia Karaoke and Dance Contest!"  
  
Polite applause wafted up at him in the form of golf claps.  
  
"This year we have several…er…interesting…contestants. It's going to be a wonderful   
night as we watch contestants from all over the world sing or dance or sometimes both for the   
fabulous prize of FIVE HUNDRED GOLDPIECES!"  
  
More polite clapping. The crowd was hardly enthused.  
  
"This crowd is hardly enthused," Amara pointed out from offstage. Her costume was   
nothing more than red frilly dress. Filia wore an exact duplicate of it except that hers was powder   
blue. It gave the two dragons a very adorable look.  
  
"Who's going on first?" Shadow Lina asked. Her costume was….odd. She wore a dark   
red dress with blue and pink leggings and bunny ears.  
  
Filia looked at the outfit and shook her head with a blink. "Now I know what color a   
hangover is," she muttered to herself.  
  
Naga held her violet kimono to herself and smiled. "Why don't you go first, Lina chan?"   
she asked.  
  
Shadow Lina eep'd. "Me?!"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Well…" The shadow twiddled her thumbs nervously.  
  
"Yeah, Lina!" Jeffrey threw in. He wasn't in costume yet since he wouldn't have to go on   
for awhile yet. "You'll be great!"  
  
The sorceress went starry eyed.  
  
"What are you singing anyway?" Amara asked.  
  
"Just a song I used to see Luna Oneechan perform at her diner on karaoke night."  
  
"Did she dress like that?" Naga asked.  
  
Shadow Lina nodded. "It's part of the act."  
  
"Act?" Filia asked.  
  
"Oh yeah!" the shadow said with a smile. "I spent the last two hours setting it all up!"  
  
"Good!" Naga grinned. "Now get out there!" She grabbed the shadow by her bunny ears   
and threw out on stage. "This is going to be GOOD," she muttered evilly.  
  
  
  
Shadow Lina blinked at the bright lights and cleared her throat. "Um…Hi," she greeted the   
crowd. "I…um…Would like to sing you a song my Luna Oneechan always liked to sing called   
'Reflection'…." She cleared her throat again and began to sing softly…  
  
"towaku chikaku naki kawasu toritatsu ga   
mezame no asa o tsugeteiru   
omoi tobira o ake hanatsu toki ga kita…"  
  
That's when the fireworks went off, and suddenly the band's soft tune was replaced by   
hard rock! Rockets burst bright pink in the air above the stage!  
  
"Iku tabi tonaku kurikaesu tamashii no senritsu ni   
katamukeru kokoro mo naku samayotteiru   
nando tonaku otozureru kinou to asu no aida   
kyou to iu hioki kisari ni mirai ni naiteru!"  
  
  
The crowd was out of their seats, cheering. Backstage, Naga, Filia, and Amara's mouths   
were hanging.  
  
"Um…How are we supposed to top that?" Amara asked.  
  
Naga growled. "Even her shadow is an overachiever hogging the spotlight…"  
  
As Shadow Lina ended her song, she bowed. The crowd was applauding enthusiastically,   
throwing flowers up on stage. The shadow giggled and waved as a giant hook reached out from   
backstage and dragged her away.  
  
"I think they really liked it!" Shadow Lina cried happily.  
  
The three other women glared down at her.  
  
"Um…" The shadow sighed. "I'm sorry."  
  
Up next was a group of young girls wearing fukus singing something they called "Moonlight   
Densetsu." They left the stage with just as much applause as Shadow Lina had.  
  
"They were pretty good," Shadow Lina commented sadly.  
  
"That's all right!" Jeffrey announced. He stepped forward and threw his tunic aside,   
wrapping a red headband around his head. "I'm on now!"  
  
Shadow Lina saw Jeffrey's bare chest and fainted away, a trace of blood on her nose. The   
bare-chested man walked onto the stage to sound of bagpipes and flutes. Wesley's voice   
introduced him.  
  
"Next up is Jeffrey! He will be performing his country's ode to the river, the   
RIVERDANCE!!!"  
  
As the music started to play, Jeffrey placed his hands on his hips and began a complicated   
movement with his feet, sometimes kicking out with them, other times merely tapping them against   
the ground in a quick rhythm.  
  
"This…is DANCING?" Filia asked, her eyebrow twitching.  
  
"I don't feel so good," Amara commented, visibly pale.  
  
Shadow Lina had a different view. "AIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!" she screamed in her highest   
pitch, her hands clasped in front of her in delight.  
  
The music reached a more urgent pitch. Jeffrey's feet were flying, his hands still firmly on   
his hips. Suddenly, the music stopped, and he bowed. The crowd was…awed…to say the least.  
  
"Er…" Wesley's voice was heard. "Let's hear it for Jeffrey! Lord of the Dance!"  
  
"AIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!" Shadow Lina squealed. "JEFFREY! JEFFREY! JEFFREY!"   
She jumped up and down and cupped her hands around her mouth. "IF YOU LOVE JEFFREY,   
SAY 'HEY-AY!'" She was finally silenced as Naga tied the belt of her kimono around her head   
and gagged her.  
  
"Well…We're next," Amara said with a smile.  
  
Xellos suddenly appeared behind Filia. "Break a leg, Little Dragon!"  
  
Filia growled and started out onstage. "I'll break a leg, alright," she muttered. "One of   
YOUR legs…"  
  
"Next up on our Talent Train," Wesley announced. "The Kawaii Dragon Sisters!"  
  
The two blondes cleared their throats and started their duet.  
  
"Somewhere in the world,  
Somewhere in the dark,  
I can hear the voice that calls my name,  
Might be a memory,  
Might be a future,  
Might be a love waiting for me…"  
  
"Wow! Miss Filia and Miss Amara are great!" Jeffrey commented.  
  
"Yes, they certainly are," Xellos muttered in agreement, resisting the urge to toss a handful   
of marbles out onto the stage. After a few minutes, the sisters finished to the applause of the   
audience.   
  
"You guys were great!" Shadow Lina cried as they came back stage.  
  
"Thank you!" Filia and Amara replied happily, bowing to them.   
  
They watched as several more contestants went on. Some were pretty good. Others just   
stank. One of them, however, they thought might be competition.  
  
Naga stalked onto the stage in her purple kimono. "Don't worry, I'll handle this!" she   
assured them.   
  
"What do you think Miss Naga is going to sing?" Shadow Lina asked them.  
  
The others shrugged.  
  
Standing up on stage, a serene look on her face, Naga held the clasp of her kimono, looking   
very angelic and vulnerable. A soft melody started to play in the background. She stood there as   
the audience waited.  
  
Just like Shadow Lina, Naga had a surprise for the audience. The music suddenly took on a   
faster tempo, and Naga acted! Ripping her violet kimono off, she revealed her usual tight, leather   
outfit! Suddenly, there was a sharp *whi-CRACK!* as the coiled leather bullwhip in her hand   
cracked resoundingly across the stage!  
  
"Iya desu wa dame desu wa   
anata to mo arou o-kata ga   
BAKEMONO no yuuwaku ni   
o-kokoro o midasareru nante!"  
  
Her voice was sultry and alluring, but every so often, she would viciously crack the whip   
over the heads of the audience!  
  
The Flaming Heroes backstage were blinking in shock. "WHAT THE HELL KIND OF   
SONG IS THAT?!" Filia cried.  
  
Xellos was reading over a program he found. "'Ojou Sama To Oyoubi,'" he informed   
them, reading from the pamphlet. He grinned at them. "'Call Me Princess!'"  
  
The song ended with several cracks of the whip and Naga bowing. Although her   
performance was flawless, only half of the audience stood up and applauded…The female half…  
  
  
  
"What do you think?" Filia asked nervously. "Do you think one of us did it?" She did   
NOT want to be stuck doing dishes for a whole week.  
  
"It's close," Naga remarked quietly.   
  
"Oh, what are we going to do if we lose?" Filia cried. "I HATE doing dishes!"  
  
"Luckily for us, Filia chan, we still have one last shot!"  
  
The dragon turned to Xellos and eyed him suspiciously.   
  
"After all," Xellos said with a smile. "We haven't done OUR performance yet."  
  
"You say 'we' pretty liberally, namagomi," Filia growled.  
  
"Yes, well, there IS a reason for that…"  
  
Before Filia could reply, Wesley's voice echoed through the auditorium. "Last but   
certainly not least! Xellos Metallium and Filia Ul Copt shall be performing…THE BANGO   
TANGO!!"  
  
Filia turned to the priest, her face pale and sporting a look of abject terror. "What have   
you done?!" she whispered in horror.  
  
The audience was cheering and whistling. Naga smacked her fist into her palm. "Yes!   
We can still win this! OOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!"  
  
"No! No way!" Filia cried, backing herself into a corner and drawing her mace. "There   
is no way I'm going to…to…" She dropped her voice to a whisper as if ashamed to say it out   
loud. "Dirty dance!"  
  
"Come on, Filia!" Naga urged. "Take one for the team!"  
  
"NO! Not this time! I refuse to…to…subject myself to…TO THAT NAMAGOMI'S   
TOUCH!"  
  
"I'll do it."  
  
They all turned to see Amara there, a determined look on her face. "Amara?!" Filia cried.  
  
"I'll dance with Lord Xellos!" the older dragon assured them. "I can pass as Filia!"  
  
"Forget it!" Filia growled. "I won't have you dance with that trash! Who knows what   
kind of ideas you'll get!"  
  
"But Filia chan," Xellos said with a grin, "If you're not going to do it, then we have no   
choice but to accept Miss Amara's offer."  
  
Filia grit her teeth. She glared at the Mazoku. "I hate you so very very much," she said   
quietly.  
  
Xellos smiled. "I know," he whispered.   
  
"But it doesn't matter!" Filia cried triumphantly. "Because I don't know how to tango! So   
there!" She stuck her nose into the air and hmmph'd.  
  
Xellos grinned. "I know how."  
  
"Then it's enough to fake," Naga said with a grin. She started towards Filia and cracked   
her knuckles.  
  
"Wh…What are you doing?!" Filia asked fearfully as Naga reached out and placed a hand   
on the dragon's shoulder.  
  
"LEVITATION!"  
  
Filia eep'd as she found herself floating an inch above the ground.   
  
"There!" Naga announced proudly. "Now all you have to do is let Xellos sweep you off   
your feet!"  
  
"This is insane!" Filia screamed. Xellos took her arm and started to pull her outside to the   
dance floor. The dragon tried to struggle, but her feet wouldn't touch the ground, making it futile.   
"Stop this!"  
  
"Gambatte, Miss Dragon Lady!" Shadow Lina cried after them.  
  
The spot light struck them both, and Filia stopped fighting it. Making a scene wasn't going   
to help. Xellos had a hold of her hand, pulling her to the dance floor. "Xellos," she said quietly,   
"I hate you. I hate you so much, it physically hurts. As a matter of fact, my hatred of you is   
probably the purest feeling I have."  
  
Xellos smiled. "How wonderful of you to say, Filia chan!" He positioned her at the center   
of the dance floor. Filia hmmph'd and stuck her nose into the air again. Her eyes snapped open as   
she felt Xellos take her gloved hand. The music began to play, guitars strummed out a slow   
melody. The Mazoku raised her hand and began to kiss it, moving up her arm. Filia recoiled and   
tried to pull away, but with her feet still floating off the ground, she couldn't. The best she could   
do was struggle.  
  
The other Flaming Heroes, now sitting in the audience, watched this and sighed. "This   
isn't going to work," Naga muttered. She snapped her fingers and ran up to the stage. Pushing   
Wesley out of the way, she cleared her throat and held her hand out to the…"dancing"…couple.  
  
"Behold!" she cried. "The story of the Demon and the Dragon as performed by Xellos   
Metallica and Filia Ul Something! Narrated by Naga the White Serpent!   
OOOOHOHOHOHOHO!!!"  
  
"I can't believe Miss Naga actually found a way to make things worse," Amara uttered in   
awe. Shadow Lina and Jeffrey nodded.  
  
"Behold!" Naga cried again as Filia and Xellos struggled. The band was still playing. "It   
twas one day that a Mazoku prince fell deeply in love with a Dragon princess!"  
  
"I HATE YOU! DON'T TOUCH ME!" Filia cried, swatting at Xellos with her hands.  
  
"The princess doth did need convincing!" Naga continued. Taking this as a cue, Xellos   
pulled Filia close to him. The dragon eep'd in surprise. Xellos raised her hand and started   
kissing it again, moving up her arm to her face. Filia spun in the air, trying to get away, but Xellos   
caught her and kissed the nape of her neck, moving his kisses down her other arm.  
  
"LET GO OF ME! STOP IT!"  
  
The Mazoku twirled Filia around as the music took on a more urgent tempo. Catching her   
and wrapping an arm around her waist while holding her hand with the other, he pressed himself   
against her and walked her backwards.  
  
"The dragon princess doth did blush girlishly!" Naga continued to narrate.  
  
"I AM NOT!" Filia cried up at the stage despite the fact that she WAS blushing.  
  
She eeked as Xellos spun her again and caught her, dipping her low and moving so that his   
lips were an inch from her neck. Filia swallowed nervously as she felt his breath tickle her skin.  
  
"And the dragon princess was doth impassioned!"  
  
"STOP SAYING 'DOTH!!'" the remaining Flaming Heroes yelled at Naga from the   
audience.  
  
"I AM NOT IMPASSIONED!" Filia screamed up at her.  
  
"Though the dragon princess did doth try to deny it!"  
  
Filia screamed in frustration.  
  
Suddenly, Xellos pulled her upright and spun her again. Without warning, Filia's tail   
popped out from beneath her dress.   
  
"EEP! My tail!" she cried.  
  
"Don't worry, Little Dragon," Xellos whispered into her ear. "I'm very good at   
improvisation…" He reached around and drummed his fingers up and down her tail. Filia gasped   
and turned deep red.  
  
"Oh my," Amara said from the stands, blushing and looking away modestly. "Lord Xellos   
is a bold one…"  
  
"What do you mean?" Shadow Lina asked.  
  
"You…um…see," Amara said in embarrassment. "Um…The tail is…um…" She leaned   
down and whispered to the shadow. "An erogenous zone."  
  
Shadow Lina turned bright red and began to fidget.  
  
Filia started to sweat. "Would…would you please stop that?" she asked quietly. She   
eeped as he spun her around so that her back was to him. His hands grabbed her waist and pulled   
her into him. She was mortified to feel him moving his hips behind her.  
  
She felt the Mazoku's breath on her ear as he started whispering something to her. If she   
was red before, she was glowing in the dark now.  
  
"And…um…the Mazoku prince did doth whisper…sweet nothings…to the dragon   
princess!" Naga narrated.  
  
A second later, Filia's tail whipped up and wrapped around Xellos of its own accord,   
pulling him closer. The audience cheered.  
  
"My my, Filia chan," Xellos whispered.  
  
Filia was mortified. "I…I just did it to keep my balance!"   
  
"Of course," he said, dancing with her to the right.  
  
"I DID DOTH DID IT TO KEEP MY BALANCE!" Filia screamed.  
  
"The dragon princess cried with was doth deep passion!" Naga added.  
  
Xellos moved his hands up from Filia's hips to her stomach. She eeped and swatted at   
them with her hands. "Stop it!" she hissed.   
  
"And still the dragon princess doth did resist the Mazoku prince's advances!"  
  
The music reached a new urgency as Xellos continued to move his hands upward. Filia   
ack'd and swatted at them again. "StopitStopitStopit!" she hissed. Suddenly she found herself   
twirled around and dipped again, her golden hair scraping the ground. Xellos leaned down until   
his lips were an inch from hers.   
  
Filia's breath caught in her throat. She swallowed nervously as she stared into those deep   
purple, predatory eyes, like a rabbit staring into the eyes of a hungry lynx. He moved closer…  
  
"And the dragon princess doth did submit!"  
  
She closed her eyes…  
  
The music stopped.  
  
The audience applauded.  
  
And Filia opened her eyes again to find Xellos smiling at her. He pulled her upright and   
took a step back, bowing deeply. Filia blushed and tried to hurry off the dance floor, but was still   
levitating. Suddenly, Amara and Shadow Lina appeared and helped her away. She was still   
breathing hard and sweating profusely.  
  
The audience was still cheering. Naga was bowing from the stage, taking the majority of   
the credit. "Thank you! Thank you!" she cried.  
  
The audience was throwing roses at Xellos as he bowed to them from the center of the   
dance floor. Amara helped Filia into a chair. The dragon was blinking as if coming to from a   
severe blow to the head.  
  
"Wow, Miss Dragon Lady!" Shadow Lina cried. "That was great!"  
  
Filia blinked. Suddenly she gasped and took Amara by the front of her dress. "Amara!   
I…I didn't…Did I?! I didn't…kiss him….Did I!?"  
  
Amara smiled. "Filia chan…"  
  
"ANSWER ME!"  
  
"No…No, you didn't," Amara told her in confusion. "But you wanted to." She grinned.  
  
"I DID NOT!"  
  
"Well, folks, I think it's easy to see the winner here!" Wesley announced from onstage.   
"First place goes to Xellos Metallium and Filia Ul Copt!"  
  
(I can't believe it!) Filia thought to herself. (I was about to…I wanted him to…) She   
looked up and saw Xellos and Naga accept the award trophy and the money that went with it.  
  
(How can this be?)  
  
  
  
Filia put the brush down and looked at herself in the mirror. She took a breath as she   
remembered what had transpired only a few hours before. How she had almost…wanted…to   
kiss….  
  
No! That wasn't possible! There was no way she could ever be attracted to a monster like   
him!  
  
She sighed and got up, preparing for bed. Trying to make sense of it when she was tired   
wasn't going to help any.  
  
  
  
Watching Filia from his perch in the tree, Xellos took a breath. Now. He had to do it now.   
Dancing with her like that, being so close to her had aroused him more than anything else ever had.   
Not death, not destruction, not the purest, blackest emotions had ever done this to him. Her scent   
had nearly driven him over the edge. He wanted her. Zelas had ordered him to take her.  
  
It was time. If he was going to do it, he'd have to do it now.  
  
In a flash of darkness, he disappeared and reappeared unnoticed in a shadowed corner of   
her room. She was pulling the blanket on her bed back, preparing to climb into it for the night.   
Her scent filled his nostrils, even more potent than before.   
  
Her back remained to him as he stepped quietly towards her. His every sensation now had   
something to do with her. His focus was on her and her alone. He doubted that he could defend   
himself right now if forced into a fight. It wouldn't surprise him if that naïve shadow could take   
him if she chose.   
  
He needed her. Period.  
  
So enthralled with her, he didn't notice her hat lying on the floor until his foot brushed it.   
The bangles on it jingled quietly, but it was enough. Filia started to turn, and Xellos pounced!  
  
She tried to cry out as he embraced her, sealing his mouth over hers and kissing her. Her   
scream for help became a muffled cry as her hands flailed about, unsure of what to do with   
themselves.   
  
A second later she was on her back on the bed. Their lips separated. She looked up at him   
fearfully. "Xellos!" she gasped.   
  
Whispering his name that way only fed his desire. She started to rise again, but he pinned   
her hands above her head. He was practically shaking in want, but there was still something   
wrong, something that made him pause.  
  
She wasn't fighting. She was looking up at him with tears in her eyes.  
  
"You promised," she whispered. An accusation. "You promised me."  
  
Every tendril of astral energy in his being screamed for him to take her, to fuse with her   
and take her as his mate. A thousand years of being a Mazoku had led him to this. He wanted   
her…NEEDED her…  
  
She didn't struggle. She stared.  
  
(TAKE HER!) his mind and body screamed. (YOU HAVE YOUR ORDERS! THERE'S   
NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO CHANGE THEM! TAKE HER!)  
  
Still she stared up at him. Her eyes boring into him.  
  
He grit his teeth and growled in anger and frustration.  
  
(TAKEHERTAKEHERTAKEHERTAKEHERTAKEHER!!!!!)  
  
With a scream of rage…  
  
He disappeared.  
  
Filia swallowed nervously and sighed in relief. She closed her eyes. He almost…He was   
going to… She took a deep breath.  
  
So what stopped him?  
  
She heard something and turned. Amara was standing in the doorway, looking   
embarrassed.   
  
"It..It's not what you think!" Filia began immediately.  
  
Amara turned and walked back down the hall. Filia watched her go and blinked.  
  
He had come to her room to take her by force….So how come SHE felt as if she had done   
something wrong?  
  
  
  
She found him behind the inn near the hot springs. He was leaning against a boulder,   
shaking.  
  
"Lord Xellos?" she called out quietly.  
  
Amara saw him straighten and try to compose himself. "M…Miss Amara…" he said in   
greeting. He turned and smiled. "Is…there something I can do for you?"  
  
She took a hesitant step forward. "I…saw what happened…In my sister's room," she   
whispered.  
  
Xellos smiled. "And you are here to avenge your sister's honor?" He sounded amused.  
  
"You're in Peak, aren't you?" she asked suddenly.  
  
His smile slipped. "There's no way you could know about that," he said quietly.  
  
"The Amalgamationists," she began, "The Amalgamationists know much more than my   
sister or the Mazoku are willing to give us credit for. But even if I had just guessed, you're   
expression would have been enough to confirm it. You're in Peak."  
  
He turned away from her. "Really, Miss Amara," he said in amusement. "Peak…is   
nothing more than a story made up by mundanes to justify sappy fairy tales like the one Miss Naga   
told tonight." He turned back to her and grinned.  
  
"You've chosen my sister as a mate," she said, ignoring his obvious lie. "But…she   
doesn't understand." She moved closer. "Allow me to be her surrogate," she whispered. "It's the   
perfect arrangement. After all…I WANT a Mazoku husband…"  
  
She reached out and touched his arm. Suddenly, her wrist was in his hand, being squeezed   
viciously. She whimpered and looked up at him.  
  
"Miss Amara," he said quietly, looking down at her with an angry frown. "I respect the   
fact that you are more tolerant of our ways…But you…are NOT…my MATE!" He tossed her to   
the ground and continued to glare. She looked up at him, trying to control her fear. "Betray Filia?"   
he growled. "Betray my chosen mate? NEVER!" he hissed. "Do you hear me? NEVER!"  
  
"Lord Xellos, I meant no disrespect!" Amara begged. "As much as we have learned of the   
Mazoku, there are some things we are still unaware of! I did not mean to insult you!"  
  
"I am hers!" he continued, hissing like an enraged snake. "HERS!" He was shaking in   
rage now. "Hers," he said again, falling to his knees.  
  
"Lord Xellos? Are you all right?"  
  
He seemed to come to his senses a second later. "Miss Amara? Yes! Yes, of course! I'm   
fine. I…apologize for my rudeness."  
  
"It's all right," she told him sympathetically.  
  
"Will…will you excuse me?" he begged in a haunted whisper. "I'm suddenly not feeling   
like myself." He rose to his feet and started to walk away, leaning on his staff.  
  
"I…I AM sorry, Lord Xellos!" she called after him. "I was…wrong…to try to place   
myself between you and my sister. Forgive me, please!"  
  
He didn't answer. Either he didn't hear her or he didn't care. Xellos half walked, half   
stumbled out of the courtyard, past the inn, and into the street. He leaned against the outer wall of   
the inn and tried to focus his eyes. This was more than he had counted on. It was getting worse.   
  
Far worse.  
  
Once reaching Peak, Mazoku were not supposed to go without a mate for this long. He   
didn't know why this would weaken him. Perhaps it was something Shabranigdo had added to   
each of them to make sure that only the strongest, that only the Mazoku worthy of reproducing   
would survive.   
  
His staff clicked on the cobblestone street as he hobbled down the road. She had done it.   
She had beaten him.   
  
He fell to his knees in the street. His vision was blurry. After surviving for so long,   
defeating so many, destroying so many more…to be beaten now by her…  
  
She really was worthy of his respect.  
  
Caught in his own web. Sweet Ruby Eye, the irony was choking him.  
  
"You're pretty pathetic, Xelly boy."  
  
He looked up and found Metallium standing over him shaking her head. She wore a black   
trench coat and a fedora, apparently enjoying the secret rendezvous act. His vision went in and out   
of focus.  
  
The Mazoku overlord knelt next to him. "You disobeyed me," she accused him quietly.   
"Do you see now? Do you see what that causes?"  
  
It dawned on him. Peak was what was affecting his emotional balance…but it was his   
crime that was causing him to weaken.  
  
He had broken the first law of being a Mazoku.  
  
He had disobeyed his overlord.  
  
"A thousand years, Xellos," she whispered to him. "A thousand years of perfect loyalty.   
Perfect efficiency. You brought killing to new heights. Turned manipulation into a form of art."  
  
He could barely make out her face.  
  
She shook her head. "To be brought down by this," she whispered. "Here lies Xellos!"   
she cried, standing up and throwing her hands into the air. "Destroyer of Dragons! Harbringer of   
Death! General Priest of the Great Beastmaster Metallium!" She turned and knelt next to him   
again. "Died for want of a fuck!" she hissed bitterly.   
  
Xellos rolled onto his back, barely breathing. His astral form was beginning to seep away.   
  
Metallium growled and stood up angrily. "Humans!" she cried. "It was your constant   
contact with them! Your eccentric fascination that did this to you!" She shook her head bitterly as   
he suffered on the street. "You disobeyed me," she hissed, pointing a finger at him. "You dug your   
own grave! And for what!? Huh?! What was the prize!?"  
  
"Re…"  
  
She strained to listen as he gasped out a word.  
  
"Re…spect…"  
  
She snorted. He closed his eyes. "After all this time," she remarked. "For you to become   
an embarrassment to me now." The Beastmaster shook her head. "I never would have   
imagined…" She raised her hand and snapped her fingers.   
  
With a sharp crack, Xellos' staff broke in two.  
  
He cried out in pain and curled up into a ball.   
  
"You are no longer my vassal," she whispered. "I acknowledge no part of you. From this   
time forward, you are NOTHING to me. You will have no support. No contact with me or my   
Mazoku. You are a thing. Unworthy of seeing the end of everything. Live…Die…It's no longer   
my concern."  
  
She turned and started to walk away.  
  
"Ma…jesty…" he whispered after her. "Please," he begged.  
  
"Do yourself a favor, Xellos No Name," she told him without turning. "Die quickly."   
  
In a flash of darkness, she was gone.  
  
Lightning flashed overhead. Rain began to fall, and Xellos No Name, lay in the street as   
the rain soaked him.   
  
If anyone had been foolish enough to be out in a storm such as that, and if one's ears were   
keen enough, one might have heard the sound of sobbing. But as no one was that foolish, or had   
such keen hearing…  
  
No one heard a sound.  
  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Okay, songs! Yes, I know they were in Japanese, and I'm sorry, but since music is such an integral   
part of Slayers, and given that that music is almost always in Japanese, I just wouldn't have felt   
right having them sing translations.  
  
Shadow Lina sang "Reflection," by Megumi Hayashibara, the end song of my favorite Slayers   
movie, "Slayers: Great!"  
  
Jeffrey, of course, performed the River Dance.   
  
The Kawaii Dragon Sisters performed, "Somewhere," the English version of Filia's image song.  
  
Naga performed "Ojou Sama To Oyoubi," a song from Tenchi Muyo performed by Yumi Takada.  
  
Special thanks goes out to the people at Anime Lyrics.com. http://www.animelyrics.com/ and my   
prereaders, Fish chan, Sethra chan, and Cav. Thanks guys. ^_^  



	16. Confusion! The Trap Is Sprung!

Slayers is the property of Kadokawa Shoten.  
  
LINA: Holy crap! This guy has a cure for Zel's curse!? Yeah, like I buy THAT load of crap!   
  
AMELIA: It's kind of hard to ignore, Miss Lina, when you're surrounded and outnumbered…  
  
GOURRY: (Unsheathing his sword.) Outnumbered…NOT outclassed!  
  
AMELIA: How does Mister Zelgadis feel about it?  
  
LINA: Hey, where IS Zel?  
  
SYLPHIEL: Zelgadis dear! Don't!  
  
  
Faces: After!  
Part 16  
Confusion!  
The Trap Is Sprung!  
  
  
  
  
"Please? Trust me?"  
  
Slowly, Zelgadis reached out to Scarrin. The man before him smiled and reached for his   
hand.  
  
"Zelgadis dear!" Sylphiel cried urgently.   
  
The others watched quietly, unsure of what they should do. Sylphiel started to push her   
way past Lina.  
  
Suddenly, Scarrin's smile slipped. Zelgadis' hand was an inch from his, and the chimera   
was staring into his yellow eyes.   
  
"No."  
  
Scarrin blinked.  
  
Suddenly, Zelgadis slammed his hand down onto the ground between them. "DUG   
HAUT!"  
  
The ground shook as spires of stone shot out from the ground! Berserkers not agile enough   
to avoid them were impaled on them, screaming and writhing in agony.  
  
"WAY TO GO, ZEL!" Lina shouted, turning to the berserkers behind them. "FIREBALL!"   
A fiery explosion engulfed four of the berserkers.  
  
Zelgadis stumbled backwards as a rock spire surfaced between himself and Scarrin. The   
other chimera was likewise thrown back. He fell onto his butt and glared at Zelgadis, rising to his   
feet and drawing his sword.  
  
  
  
Greysword drew her katana and started down the side of the gully. She hadn't heard any of   
the conversation, but the chimera's spell was enough of a signal that something had gone wrong for   
her. "Showtime, Zero!" she called out. The red priest lookalike disappeared. The   
swordswoman maneuvered quickly, but carefully down the angular incline of the wall, trying very   
hard not to trip.   
  
She hit the gully floor and saw her target rising to his feet and drawing a sword. She   
raised her katana and darted forward, leaping into the air at him.  
  
"STONE CLEAVE!" she screamed as she swung her sword at the chimera. Zelgadis saw   
her at the last second and rolled out of the way! Greysword's katana sliced into the rocky ground   
where he had been standing, a plume of dust and debris flying up from the gash.   
  
She blinked the dust out of her eyes just in time to see Gourry charging her. She brought   
her katana up and blocked his first two slashes and hopped nimbly backwards to evade a third.  
  
"VIS FARANK!" Amelia cried, the word "JUSTICE" appearing on her knuckles as she   
knocked another three berserkers back with fast punches.  
  
Lina lowered her hand as another explosion threw three more berserkers skyward. She   
sensed something behind her and hit the ground just in time.  
  
"FREEZE ARROW!"  
  
The ice bolt shot right over her head and struck another hapless berserker. She shot to her   
feet and turned to find Zero floating not far away. She grinned ferally. "Round three," she   
whispered. "FIREBALL!" The ball of flame shot from her hand and landed at the sorcerer's feet,   
exploding. However, the red priest wannabe suddenly appeared to her right.  
  
Lina readied another spell.  
  
  
  
Sylphiel saw a berserker get around Amelia's back and raise his sword. "MISS   
AMELIA!" She raised her hands. "FLARE ARROW!" Her attack spells might only be good for   
distractions, but right now it would do.  
  
She wasn't expecting a three meter shaft of flame to shoot from her hand and strike the   
berserker dead in the chest, knocking him back ten meters. Amelia turned, saw the shot, then   
turned back and gave Sylphiel the victory sign.  
  
The priestess blinked. That had been odd…  
  
Before she could give it any more thought, furry arms wrapped around her from behind.   
She started to scream, cast a spell, but a hairy paw covered her mouth. The priestess kicked   
against her assailant. She could feel the thing's breath on her neck.   
  
"MISS SYLPHIEL!" Amelia cried, rushing to help.  
  
Sylphiel continued to struggle, making things very difficult for Gandrav. Suddenly, the   
werewolf paused. She heard him sniff several times. Suddenly, he shoved her away. Sylphiel hit   
the ground hard.  
  
"ELEMEKIA LANCE!" she heard from behind her. A bolt of just barely missed the wolf   
creature, who leapt out of the way. Sylphiel suddenly found Amelia standing over her. "Are you   
okay, Miss Sylphiel?!"   
  
"Yes," she said, rising to her feet. "I'm okay." But why did the werewolf suddenly shove   
her away?  
  
  
  
Zelgadis saw Scarrin draw a sword and raised his. "ASTRAL VINE!" The sword in his   
hand glowed red.  
  
Scarrin only smiled and held his own sword up. "ASTRAL VINE!" His sword also began   
glowing. Zelgadis took an unsteady breath at this. "You forget," Scarrin told him with a smile.   
"We are students of the same school." With a cry he launched himself forward, far faster than   
Zelgadis would have believed possible! He brought his sword up to block. The two blades   
locked together amidst a storm of astral energy.  
  
Zelgadis shoved forward and went on the offensive, slashing at the chimera, but Scarrin   
was much faster than he was. Each of the stone man's blows fell either on the tiger man's blade or   
bit nothing but air.   
  
Scarrin's blade seemed to come out of nowhere a second later, and Zelgadis just barely   
brought his sword up in time. He grit his teeth against the strain being placed upon him.   
  
"We're not so different you and I," Scarrin whispered. "We're both trapped in bodies we   
despise, both unable to go home…"   
  
Zelgadis growled and continued to struggle.  
  
"Both of us wishing for a way out…The difference is, Greywords, I can have MY wish!"   
Scarrin shoved Zelgadis back and charged again.   
  
"FLARE ARROW!" Zelgadis cried, throwing his hand out at the other chimera. A bolt of   
flame shot forward and struck the ground near Scarrin's feet. Smoke and dust rose into the sky,   
and a second later, Scarrin had emerged from it, leaping at Zelgadis.  
  
Zelgadis brought his sword up again…  
  
  
  
Lina dived out of the way of two more Flare Arrows and cursed as she looked up at the   
sky. Zero was floating up there hurling spells down on her.   
  
The sorceress dived to her right as she heard him call out another Flare Arrow. She dived   
and rolled, coming to rest on her back. She pointed up at him. "FREEZE BRID!" A blue bolt shot   
from her hands and flew upwards, but Zero floated nimbly out of the way.  
  
This wasn't going to work at all…  
  
She saw Gourry and Greysword fighting not far away. A plan formed. She drew her short   
sword. "Gourry! Trade!" Lina reached back and flung her sword towards the two fighting   
duelists.   
  
Her sword landed blade-first in the dirt. Gourry saw it and used his own sword to slash   
upwards. Greysword's katana locked with his blade, but suddenly the swordsman lashed out with   
the pommel and struck the woman in the face. Greysword stumbled backwards.  
  
Gourry took his chance. He raced towards Lina's sword and threw his in her general   
direction. The blade hit the ground and skidded to a halt only a few yards from the sorceress, who   
ran straight to it.   
  
Greysword, however, had recovered and was racing towards him. She caught up to the   
man quickly and slashed at his back, but Gourry dived forward and rolled, grabbing Lina's sword   
and coming to a stop in a crouch. He turned quickly and brought the short sword up just in time to   
deflect a blow from Greysword's katana.  
  
Meanwhile, Lina ducked under another fire blast and dived for Gourry's sword. She felt   
her hand hit the handle and clutched at it desperately. The sword firmly in hand, she rose to her   
feet, turned upward, and…  
  
"RAYWING!"  
  
The redhead shot into the air towards the red priest. Zero lashed out at her.  
  
"FIREBALL!"  
  
The ball of fire struck Lina dead on and exploded in a smoky eruption.   
  
A second later, she exploded out of the cloud of smoke and continued to climb higher.   
Zero, forgetting the significance of the sword she carried for a fatal instant, gasped.  
  
Lina screamed as she swung the sword upward, the tip slicing into the red priest and   
nicking his eye. Zero screamed and clutched at his face as Lina shot past him. Blood seeped   
between his fingers. He began to stagger in mid-air.  
  
"Astral…Phase…"  
  
A second later, the sorcerer was gone.  
  
Lina floated above the battle and looked down to see Gourry try to block another swing   
from Greysword. The katana went right through the short sword's blade. The swordsman growled   
in irritation, but before he could take any other action, Greysword's boot had connected with his   
face. The blond flew back several feet and landed on his back.  
  
"GOURRY!" Lina shouted down at him. She flung the sword downward towards him, and   
it landed blade first in the ground a few feet away.  
  
He saw it and rolled right toward it just as Greysword's katana struck the ground where he   
had been laying. Grasping the sword he brought it up and blocked another downward swing   
before lashing out with his foot and striking the woman in the face. The swordswoman cried out   
and dropped to one knee as Gourry shot to his feet.  
  
Greysword rose, and the duel continued.  
  
  
  
The two astrally charged blades were a blur of red as they danced together. Zelgadis   
smiled tightly as he recognized some of the sword techniques Scarrin was using as the same ones   
taught to HIM by Rodimus.  
  
The blades locked together again, but this time, Scarrin had something else planned.   
Before Zelgadis realized what was happening, Scarring had removed one hand from his sword and   
placed his palm against the chimera's midsection.  
  
"BOMB DE WIND!"  
  
At such a close range, it was like being kicked in the stomach by one of Naga's golems.   
Zelgadis was thrown back almost a hundred feet, striking the wall of the gully and falling to the   
ground. He coughed and spat blood. The chimera blinked, dazed, and tried to rise to his feet. He   
managed to stand for a moment, but ended up falling to his knees again.  
  
"ZELGADIS DEAR!" Sylphiel screamed as she saw this. "RAYWING!" In a flash, the   
priestess had flown over to him, kneeling next to him. "Oh, dear Cepheid," she whispered as she   
prepared to chant a healing spell.  
  
"This is the end, Greywords," Scarrin called out as he walked casually towards them.   
"Come along peacefully, and I'll let your friends go."  
  
Sylphiel was murmuring a healing spell, her hands going to Zelgadis' chest. She paused   
and opened her eyes as she felt him take her hand. He stared straight into her eyes, the looked   
skyward. Then, his eyes looked down and to his right. She followed his gaze and found his right   
hand touching the ground, this fingers glowing a soft green.  
  
He was preparing a spell.  
  
His eyes went skyward again, then gave her a questioning look. She nodded quickly and   
got a good hold of him. She stayed perfectly still as she heard Scarrin's footfalls move closer.   
She gulped as she felt the flat of his blade rest on her shoulder.  
  
"It's over," he said quietly.  
  
Her fingers tightened around Zelgadis' arm. She nodded to him.  
  
"BEPHIS BRING!"  
  
The ground beneath them disintegrated!  
  
"LEVITATION!" Sylphiel cried. They rose into the air as Scarrin fell into the pit formed   
by the chimera's spell.  
  
The man screamed as he fell. The Bephis Bring spell caused earth to disappear, and in this   
case the spell had burrowed far enough to hit an underground river far below them. There was a   
splash far below.  
  
Sylphiel and Zelgadis continued to rise into the air.  
  
Greysword heard the commotion and turned. "Shit!" she cried.  
  
"Gourry!"   
  
She turned back just in time to see Lina fly down and grab the swordsman under his arms   
and start to climb again. A second later and she heard the other sorceress cast her own levitation   
spell. She growled.  
  
"Zero! Where the fuck are you!?" she cursed to herself as she ran to the pit. Looking   
down over the edge, she searched for some sign of Scarrin in the rapids below. "FUCK!" she   
cried, slamming her palm against the ground.  
  
  
  
"Zelgadis dear! Are you okay?!" Sylphiel cried to the man hanging precarious in her grip.   
There was no answer. "Zelgadis dear?! ZELGADIS DEAR!?"  
  
"Is he okay!?"  
  
Sylphiel turned and found Lina flying nearby on her right, Gourry dangling beneath her and   
watching the ground fearfully.  
  
"I can't tell!" Sylphiel cried, tears in her eyes.  
  
"I'll check!" she heard from her left. Amelia dipped beneath her and floated up the   
chimera. Zelgadis' eyes were closed, and blood seeped from the corners of his mouth. "Mister   
Zelgadis?" Amelia asked. "Are you okay? Can you hear me?"  
  
"Is he okay?!" Sylphiel called down frantically.  
  
"He's out cold!" Amelia shouted back. "But I think he's still breathing!"  
  
"We have to set down somewhere," Sylphiel told them.   
  
"Not yet," Lina said.  
  
"Miss Lina!"  
  
"Not until we're a little farther away," the redhead explained. "Otherwise we might end   
up getting caught on the ground."  
  
Sylphiel bit her lip and started downward.  
  
"Sylphiel!" Lina cried after her. "Dammit!" She started down after her.  
  
The shrine maiden found a spot on the bank of a nearby river and gently set the chimera   
down. She knelt over his unmoving form and placed her hands on his chest, chanting a recovery   
spell.  
  
Gourry landed with a cry not far away and sat up just as Lina and Amelia landed nimbly on   
their feet.   
  
"Is he okay?" Amelia asked worriedly.  
  
Sylphiel didn't answer. She was concentrating on the energy in her hands flowing   
downward into her lover, repairing torn tissue and bone.  
  
Lina watched the trees warily, ready for anything. Sure, Zero and Scarrin might be out of   
the fight right now, but Greysword and that werewolf were still out there along with however   
many berserkers managed to hide from Lina's fireballs.  
  
After five minutes of work, Zelgadis' eyes finally opened. "Syl…chan?"  
  
She smiled down at him. "How do you feel?"  
  
"Forget how he feels," Lina interrupted. "Can you walk?"  
  
"I think so," he said, rising to his feet.   
  
"Okay," Lina murmured. "Then let's get moving." She pointed downstream. "Carvalho   
is this way." With that, she started marching.  
  
Sylphiel helped Zelgadis and threw his arm over her shoulder, supporting his weight.   
Gourry took the other side.   
  
Slowly, the group started out again.  
  
  
  
Greysword maneuvered her way up the bank of the river and looked out at the water. By   
her reckoning, the underground river emerged from the cliffs here. She looked up at the sun and   
growled. It was starting to go down. Waving to the figure on the other side of the water, she   
called out.  
  
"Gandrav! Do you see anything?!"  
  
The werewolf paused for a moment, then started into the water. Greysword watched as he   
climbed back onto the bank a minute later with a black-clad figure being carried over his shoulder.  
  
"Alive!? Dead?! What?!" she called out.  
  
The werewolf held up two fingers, giving her the victory sign. She nodded. A second   
later, she felt something appear to her right. Turning, she found Zero standing there, looking out at   
the water just as she was.  
  
"You stupid piece of shit!" she hissed at him. "If you had been covering us from the air,   
we would have had…" She broke off as he turned to her, and for the first time she saw the bloody   
bandage covering his right eye. His expression was one of muted fury.  
  
"You can have the chimera," he said quietly. "But I WANT the redhead."  
  
"Deal," Greysword said quietly. She turned back to the water and watched Gandrav carry   
their employer across the river.  
  
  
  
Zelgadis winced as he lowered himself into the hot water of the inn's onsen. Sylphiel's   
healing spell had done its job, but it did little for the soreness he felt up and down his back.   
Perhaps a good soak would help. He could only hope.  
  
Besides, he needed some time to digest what Scarrin had told him. There were pieces of a   
puzzle he had to fit together, but what pieces fit the puzzle he was working on? What was lie and   
what was truth?  
  
Was he REALLY part Mazoku?  
  
He took an unsteady breath and tried to make sense of it. From what Scarrin had said   
during the battle, he had implied that they shared a problem, but was that a lie as well? How much   
of what he said could be taken at face value?  
  
Until he knew more, none of it…  
  
("You will always be lied to, Zelgadis,") Rezo's voice came back to him. The Red Priest   
had been his teacher in almost everything he knew. Though he didn't like it, Zelgadis often found   
himself applying those lessons to his life. ("Friend, enemy, it makes no difference. The only   
things you can trust as fact are the things YOU create, say, or do. Everything else…is suspect.")  
  
He sighed and reached for the steel wool sponge he used to bathe with. Running the steel   
up and down his arm, he continued to contemplate his next move.   
  
That Scarrin knew Rezo, he had no doubt. There were too many signs pointing to it. And   
he was definitely a chimera. The eyes, agility, and strength made it obvious.   
  
Perhaps he was searching for a cure as well?  
  
Then why try to abduct him? Why not just ask for his help?  
  
Were there really other chimeras like him out there?  
  
So wrapped up in his thoughts was he that he didn't notice the disturbance in the water   
behind him until the creator of that disturbance laid her hands on his shoulders. "Zelgadis dear?"  
  
He jumped and blushed, covering himself out of reflex. "Sylphiel?!" The chimera turned   
his head to look at her and found her sitting just behind him.   
  
She took the steel wool pad from his hand and started to gently scrub his back. "Syl chan,"   
she corrected. "Are you feeling better?"  
  
"A little sore," he confessed as she continued to scrub his back. He winced slightly as   
even that gentle action prompted pain.  
  
She said nothing.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked.  
  
"It was him," she whispered. "The one from my dream. The one I told you about."  
  
He took a breath. "So I gathered."  
  
The priestess' arms wrapped around him and pulled him to her. He covered a wince and   
took a breath. Suddenly, his eyes went wide and he blushed. With the shrine maiden pressed   
against his back, he suddenly realized something.  
  
Sylphiel wasn't wearing a towel…  
  
"Why does this have to happen?" she whimpered. "Why now? Rezo and Phibrizzo   
weren't enough? The gods had to throw another one into the mix?"  
  
He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Hey," he said, "What would my life be   
like if stuff like this didn't happen?" he asked her.   
  
"Peaceful," she replied quietly.  
  
"Yeah," he sighed. "But there's no point in crying about it."  
  
"Zelgadis dear?"  
  
He turned to look into her green eyes. "If the gods like making me a toy for them to play   
with, fine," he said. "I'm used to that. And if they want to dangle a cure in front of me, let them."  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
Zelgadis smiled tightly. "Scarrin MIGHT have been lying about having a cure, but if he   
was, then what he said to me during out fight wouldn't make any sense. I think he DOES have a   
cure, and for some reason he needs ME to make it work."  
  
She shook her head frantically. "No, don't say what I think…"  
  
"I think it's time I used some of the things Rezo taught me," he continued. "So the next time   
we meet with Scarrin, Greysword, or Zero, it's not going to end with me running away. I'm going   
to grab one of them." He clenched a fist in front of him. "And then they're going to tell me where I   
can find this cure."  
  
Sylphiel moved in front of him and took him by the shoulders. "Don't," she begged   
frantically. "Please! There are other cures out there! Other ways! Don't risk yourself like this!"  
  
"I'm at risk anyway," he told her. "If they want me, they'll come after me. No reason I   
shouldn't take what I can get."  
  
"You'd do anything for your cure," she whispered almost bitterly.  
  
"No," he said quietly. "Not anything…but a lot."  
  
Thunder clapped overhead. They looked up at the sky and saw black rain clouds   
silhouetted against the moonlight.  
  
Sylphiel squeezed his shoulder, and he winced again. Seeing his pain, she blinked and   
took his hand. "Come on," she said. "Let's get you to bed. You've had a long day."  
  
"Sylphiel." She stopped and looked at him. Zelgadis stared into her green eyes. "I   
WANT a peaceful life," he told her. "I want it with you." She smiled. "But as long as Scarrin's   
out there, it's not going to happen. One way or the other, I have to end it."  
  
She nodded and sighed. "I understand." The shrine maiden tugged his arm. "Now come   
on. I'll tuck you in."  
  
He chuckled and followed her to the edge of the bath.  
  
  
  
Gourry was lying on his bed, reading the latest issue of "Swords and Swording," when he   
heard it.  
  
Something was tapping against his window.   
  
He turned his head and looked at it, but couldn't make out the figure on the other side of the   
glass. Rising from his bed, he put the magazine down and walked to the window. Slowly opening   
it, he looked out and blinked.  
  
Lina, arrayed in white diaphanous robes that flapped and floated in the breeze, was   
levitating there.  
  
"Oi, Lina," he said. "What are you doing out there?"  
  
The redhead smiled at him. "Gourry, my dearest, I've come for you."  
  
He blinked. "Come for me?"  
  
"Yes," she said, her voice caressing his ears like fine silk. "I've come to show you the   
depths of my love for you."  
  
Gourry thought on this for a moment, remembering the last time he had heard that. But that   
had just been a dream…  
  
He stood back, and Lina floated inside, landing nimbly on her feet. She turned to him and   
smiled peacefully…  
  
Then tore the white gown from her body, and threw it to the floor, revealing the leather and   
chains outfit from his dream!  
  
*whi-CRACK!*  
  
  
  
He gasped as he woke up, sitting up in bed and clutching at his blanket. The room was   
dark, and the only sounds in the room were from the rain pelting against the glass of his window.  
  
(Relax, doofus!) his brain shouted at him. (Lina wouldn't do that.)  
  
There was a knock at his door.  
  
"DON'T COME IN HERE!" he screamed. "I HAVE A SWORD! DON'T COME IN   
HERE!"  
  
"Gourry?! Are you okay?!" Lina's voice asked from the other side of the door.  
  
  
  
"I HAVE A SWORD!!!" Gourry repeated from the other side of the door.  
  
Lina blinked in puzzlement, then sighed. This wasn't going to happen tonight. Not while   
Gourry was having a psychotic episode. She turned and started down the hall. She was passing   
Zelgadis and Sylphiel's room just as the door opened, and the shrine maiden stepped out.  
  
"Oh! Miss Lina!"   
  
"Hey, Sylphiel," she muttered. "I thought you were turning in."  
  
"Well, I thought I'd go down to the kitchen and make our lunches for tomorrow. We're   
going to be on the road again, right?"  
  
"Yeah," the redhead said deadpan.  
  
"Are you all right, Miss Lina?" Sylphiel asked.  
  
"C'mon, Sylphiel," the sorceress ordered, walking past her. "I need a drink, and so do   
you."  
  
"I do?"  
  
"Yes. You do. C'mon."  
  
  
  
"Okay," Lina said, taking a deep draught of ale and slamming her mug down on the bar.   
"One of us is doing something wrong, and that one is GOURRY!" She looked to the shrine maiden   
sitting next to her, who was staring down into her own glass. "He's such a moron!" Lina   
complained. "Doesn't he get the hint YET?! What am I doing wrong?!"  
  
"Um…Miss Lina…" Sylphiel began meekly. "Perhaps it's your approach."  
  
"What about it?" the redhead asked.   
  
"Well," the shrine maiden went on, "It just seems to me that you're being   
rather…well…aggressive."  
  
"What's wrong with aggressive!?"  
  
"Nothing! Nothing at all!" Sylphiel cried, waving her hands in front of her. "It's just   
that…well…Maybe Gourry doesn't WANT you to be aggressive about this."  
  
Lina blinked as she thought on this. "Then…What?"  
  
"Well…Gourry once told me…that…um…He kind of wished that you were more like   
m…um…that you were more girlish…more feminine," she corrected hastily.  
  
Suddenly, Lina had a hold of the front of Sylphiel's blouse with one hand and was breaking   
a bottle on the bar with the other, holding the broken, glass neck shard to the priestess' throat.   
"ARE YOU SAY'N I AIN'T *FEMININE*?!"  
  
"Th…That's not what I'm saying at all!" Sylphiel cried.  
  
Lina let her go and turned back to the bar in a huff. "Good," she muttered.  
  
"All I'm saying is that maybe you should let Gourry know that you can be…" Lina shot her   
an evil look and reached for her broken bottle. "Feminine….er…" the shrine maiden finished.  
  
"More feminine, huh?" Lina muttered. "I can do that." She stood up and clenched her fist   
before her. "I'll give him all the feminine he can handle!"  
  
"Oh dear," Sylphiel sighed. "I've caused trouble again…"  
  
  
  
Garak the tailor grumbled as he walked out of his bedroom and to the front of his shop. It   
was one in the morning! Couldn't this wait?!  
  
But no. The pounding at his door came again.   
  
"I'm coming! I'm coming!" he cried, holding the candle up to the door window and trying   
to make out who it was behind the door. All he could see was a flash of red. "Who's there?!" he   
called.  
  
"A customer! Open the door!" came the angry reply.  
  
"It's one in the morning!"  
  
"OPEN THE DOOR!"  
  
Shocked into submission, Garak unlocked the door and opened it, revealing a young,   
teenaged girl. "Um…Hello there…"  
  
Lina Inverse pointed a finger at his nose. "Here's the deal!" she said. "Make me pretty,   
or I'll kill you! Got it?!"  
  
  
  
"How is he?" Zero asked as he entered the tent.  
  
Before Greysword could reply, Scarrin turned to him, holding a cup of hot broth to his lips.   
He saw the bandage on the sorcerer's eye and paused. "Trying a new look, are we?" he asked.  
  
Zero took an annoyed breath. He hardly found the loss of his eye funny. "Gandrav wishes   
to speak to you," he said, getting to the point of his visit. "He says it's important."  
  
"Very well, very well," Scarrin muttered angrily. He was still frustrated that after coming   
so close, he had lost Greywords again. "Send him in."  
  
Zero turned and opened the flap. The werewolf ducked his head as he entered and gave a   
short bow to his employer.  
  
"I'm cold, hurt, wet, and exhausted, Gandrav," Scarrin told him. "Not to mention angry   
and rather disappointed in my choice of associates." All three of the lackeys bristled at that   
comment. "What is it?"  
  
"You told me that the one carrying the Mazoku scent, Greywords, was not to be harmed,"   
Gandrav told him.  
  
"Yes, yes, what about it?!" Scarrin replied in annoyance.  
  
"During the battle, I encountered a second who carried that scent."  
  
Scarrin looked up at him in shock. "You're sure?" he asked.  
  
The werewolf nodded. "You are certain the chimera is…"  
  
"Yes! Of course I'm sure!"  
  
"Then there is a second carrier of this astral scent."  
  
Scarrin took a step forward and smiled. "Who?"  
  
  
  
Sylphiel descended the stairs and yawned as she started towards their table. Lina had just   
enough money left over to pay for a night at the inn and breakfast, but they'd have to find money   
somewhere before they arrived at the next town. She took a seat next to Amelia, who was just   
opening a newspaper.  
  
"Miss Amelia?" Sylphiel asked as Gourry and Zelgadis sat down, "What is that? I've   
never seen you read the news before."  
  
Amelia smiled and held the paper up like a trophy. "Carvalho is a Seyruunian outpost, so   
they get the Royal Newsletter, even if it IS a week or two old."  
  
The shrine maiden smiled. "Ah. It must be nice to be able to hear about your home."  
  
The princess nodded and turned back to the paper.  
  
"Gourry?" Zelgadis asked. "Are you okay? There was screaming from your room last   
night."  
  
"Oh! That!" Gourry replied, scratching the back of his head. "I just had a bad dream."  
  
"Has anyone seen Miss Lina this morning?" Sylphiel asked. "She was kind of depressed   
last night."  
  
The rest of the gang shook their heads.  
  
"Good morning, everyone!"  
  
They all turned their heads at the sound of the greeting…  
  
Then did a double take.  
  
Then, just to be sure, did a triple take.  
  
Lina Inverse stood there arrayed in green, frilly dress, stockings, and…  
  
"Oh my God, are those HEELS?!" Amelia cried.  
  
The redhead smiled brightly, holding her purse in both hands. "How is everyone this   
morning?" she asked in a friendly manner.  
  
"Oh dear!" Sylphiel cried, her hand going to her mouth. "Miss Lina's finally cracked!"  
  
"WHADDYA MEAN 'FINALLY?!'" Lina demanded angrily, then paused and smiled   
again. "I mean…" she giggled. "I mean, no, I'm feeling fine. I just thought I'd try a new look,   
that's all."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Um…Lina?" Gourry began. "Are you sure you're feeling okay? You look different for   
some reason."  
  
Lina's eyebrow twitched, but she quickly concealed it. "Why, no, Gourry…dear…" she   
said, adding Sylphiel's old endearment to his name. "I just thought it'd be nice to dress up."  
  
"Dress up as what?" Gourry asked. Lina hit the floor.  
  
"I think she looks cute!" Sylphiel cried, clasping her hands together. Lina, meanwhile, had   
picked herself up and was hobbling over to the table on unsteady heels.  
  
A waiter approached her and asked what she would like. "I'll have everything in triple   
portions from A to…" She suddenly broke off, bit her lip, and grimaced. "I'll have….a salad,"   
she finished.  
  
The table gasped.  
  
For a second, the world stopped spinning.  
  
And Gourry Gabriev knew there was something wrong. "Oi, Lina. Is it that time of the   
month or something? You NEVER eat salad!"  
  
Lina growled and raised her black leather purse over her head, preparing to bring it down   
on Gourry's skull, but stopped. "No…Gourry…dear," she bit out. "Thank you for being   
concerned."  
  
They all ate in silence, all of them keeping an eye on Lina as she ate her salad with tiny   
nibbles.  
  
"Mister Zelgadis," Amelia whispered. "I'm scared."  
  
Lina overheard this and twitched. She turned to the princess and smiled demurely. "Why,   
Miss Amelia, there's no reason to be concerned." The sorceress grit her teeth. "After all…a less   
FEMININE young lady might take offense at your comment and reduce you and this entire inn to a   
pile of ash, but luckily, I'm more FEMININE than that…"  
  
Amelia hid behind Zelgadis and cowered, nodding quickly at Lina.  
  
"You're not really going to hike all day dressed like that, are you?" Zelgadis asked her.   
Amelia had retaken her seat and was perusing her newspaper again.  
  
"Why, don't all FEMININE, proper young ladies dress this way?" Lina asked.  
  
Before anyone could answer, Amelia spit out a mouthful of tea. "WHAT!?" she screamed   
at the newspaper. "HOW COULD…WHAT THE…WHERE THE…HOW THE…."  
  
"Miss Amelia?" Sylphiel asked in concern.  
  
Amelia just shook her head at the paper. Suddenly, she rose to feet and started for the exit.  
  
"Amelia?!" Lina called out after her.  
  
"Home!" Amelia cried, not turning back. "I have to go home!"  
  
  
  
"Amelia!" Lina cried, trying to catch up to the princess in the what were probably the most   
uncomfortable shoes she had ever worn. "Wait up!"  
  
"I can't!" Amelia told her as the others caught up. "An INCREDIBLE injustice is taking   
place back home! I have to go! I'll meet the rest of you somewhere, okay?!"  
  
"What is it, Amelia?" Zelgadis asked.  
  
"You can tell us," Sylphiel assured her.  
  
"Did anyone remember to pay the check?" Gourry asked.  
  
"So spill!" Lina ordered.  
  
Amelia stopped in her tracks and held the newspaper up. She opened it to the second page   
and cleared her throat. "'In other news,'" she read, "'Preparations for the Princess's wedding are   
proceeding smoothly. In a recent interview with Prince Philoniel, the ecstatic father of the bride   
was quoted as saying, 'I've never been so happy in my entire life! Ever since my little girl came   
home from her travels with Miss Lina and announced her engagement, my entire life has come into   
focus. It's as if new life has been breathed into the palace.''" She put the paper down.  
  
The others blinked in shock.  
  
"You're getting married?!" Gourry asked in surprise.  
  
Lina raised her purse again, but paused and growled, lowering it slowly.   
"No…Gourry…dearest," she growled. "That's the problem…"  
  
"SOMEONE IS PRETENDING TO BE ME!!" Amelia cried. "And now they've duped   
my poor father and are probably planning on taking the kingdom right out from under him!"  
  
"That's horrible!" Sylphiel cried.  
  
Lina growled inwardly. She could tolerate a lot, but this was too much. "I say we go to   
Seyruun and waste 'em," she announced coldly.  
  
The others looked at her.  
  
"I mean," she corrected, "We should go to Seyruun and get to the bottom of this mess. I'm   
sure it's just a…um…mistake…or something…"  
  
"I liked the first answer better," Zelgadis noted.  
  
"I have to find my father and let him know he's being conned!" Amelia continued.   
  
"Miss Amelia is right!" Sylphiel exclaimed. "Pretending to be the poor man's daughter   
like that is simply cold!"  
  
"Seyruun is a week from here," Zelgadis reminded them.  
  
"But this paper is already two weeks old!" Amelia cried in despair. "By the time we get   
there we might be too late!"  
  
"Then we should start out now!" Lina told them. She paused again. "That is…if YOU   
think so, Gourry dear!" She giggled girlishly and tried to keep from retching at her own behavior.   
  
The blond man scratched his head. "Well…yeah!" he said. "We can't let someone do that   
to Phil!"  
  
Amelia posed and pointed at the road to Seyruun. "Evil doer," she began, "I know you're   
out there. I know what you're trying to do. Before, I fought for justice. Then I fought for my   
friends. Now I fight for my father…and so help me when I finally catch you, justice will be the   
only hope in the world you'll have that I don't fry you!"  
  
It was by far the most serious "Justice Speech," Amelia had ever made.   
  
"Then off we go!" Lina cried.  
  
As a group, they set off for the distant city of Seyruun.  
  
  
To Be Continued…  



	17. Xellos! A Broken Man Still Bleeds.

Slayers belongs to Kadokawa Shoten.  
  
NAGA: WHEW! What a night, huh?!  
  
SHADOW LINA: Yeah, but it's over and I'm off to buy a new dress! Later!……   
Hey…That drunk in the street looks awfully familiar….MISTER XELLOS?!  
  
  
  
Faces: After!  
Part 17  
Xellos!  
A Broken Man Still Bleeds.  
  
  
  
"Oh you have GOT to be kidding me!" Naga complained as she thumbed through   
the Claire Bible manuscript.  
  
"What is it, Miss Naga?" Shadow Lina asked, sitting across from the sorceress at   
the breakfast table.  
  
"Listen to this," the White Serpent ordered, placing her finger at the beginning of a   
paragraph and reading. "'Once the first, second, and third parts of the spell are cast, the   
caster must place the magical conductor, until this point held in his hand, INTO the target   
directly, using his own strength and faith in Cepheid to hold it in place as he chants the   
final words of the spell, bringing down Cepheid's wrath upon the target and His blessing   
upon the caster.'"  
  
"So?" the shadow asked.  
  
"'So?!'" Naga repeated. "From the sound of it, this book expects me to bring   
down something as powerful as the Dragon Slave and shoot MYSELF with it as well as   
whatever I want to destroy! It's a suicide attack!"  
  
"That sounds bad," Shadow Lina agreed.  
  
Naga sighed in frustration. "Yes…Very bad…Crap!"  
  
"Miss Naga, is it okay if I go into town for awhile?" the shadow asked suddenly.  
  
"What for?"  
  
Shadow Lina blushed. "I wanna buy a new dress for when Jeffrey takes me out."  
  
Naga snorted. "You really are Lina's opposite, you know that? The real Lina   
would never be caught dead in a dress…"  
  
  
  
Meanwhile…  
  
  
  
Lina Inverse growled in pain as she walked. How did other women do this?! If   
she wasn't tripping over her own skirt, she was coming within an inch of breaking her   
ankle on these DAMN SHOES!  
  
"Oi, Lina?" Gourry asked, walking up beside her. "Are you okay?"  
  
"NO, I'M NOT OKA…" The sorceress broke off, took a deep breath, and…  
  
Sniffled.  
  
"No, Gourry dear," she whimpered. "These shoes are so MEAN!"  
  
The blond man blinked. "Why don't you just put on your boots?"  
  
Lina growled low in her throat. "Because…proper…young….LADIES…do   
NOT…wear…BOOTS!"  
  
Gourry blinked again. "Sylphiel wears boots."  
  
The redhead stopped walking, her eye twitching.   
  
"Lina?"  
  
A soft growl was rumbling in the redhead's throat.  
  
"Oi? Lina?"  
  
"Never…mind….Gourry…dear…" she bit out before setting out again.  
  
Gourry just scratched his head and watched her go.  
  
  
  
"Well…" Shadow Lina drawled out, "I guess that means I'm SUPPOSED to have   
dresses and stuff!"  
  
Naga stared at her for a good minute. Then, "Get out of my sight."  
  
"Miss Naga?"  
  
"LEAVE ME!"  
  
Shadow Lina cringed a bit, then ran from the inn into the street. This was going to   
be fun! She loved shopping for dresses! They were so pretty and frilly and colorful and…  
  
She stopped. There was something very wrong. Her head shot from side to side,   
searching for the source of the disturbance. Without really knowing why, she turned and   
started down an alley.   
  
"Hello?" she called out. "Is there someone here?" She paused as her foot struck   
something on the ground. She knelt down and picked up the object. The gem in Xellos'   
staff, now dark black and dull, stared back at her from its place atop the broken staff.   
"Mister Xellos?" she called out. "Are you out here?"  
  
She stood up and took a few more steps down the alley. Suddenly, she gasped and   
rushed forward.   
  
"Mister Xellos!"   
  
The priest's body was lying in a puddle of water. His black cloak was worn and   
pale, as if it had been sitting out in the elements for a thousand years. Streaks of grey ran   
through his hair.   
  
The shadow rolled the Mazoku onto his back and bit her nails anxiously. What was   
she supposed to do? Xellos' face was pale and gaunt. His eyes were closed. Was he   
even alive?!  
  
"Mister Xellos?" she asked, giving him a gentle nudge with her hand. "Mister   
Xellos? Wake up. Please?" She bit her lip then suddenly set her jaw and nodded.   
Grabbing him by both hands, she started to drag him back towards the street. "Hang on,   
Mister Xellos!" she ordered.   
  
  
  
Two blondes sat the breakfast table, neither one willing to look the other in the eye.   
Naga, meanwhile, was still thumbing through the Claire Bible manuscript, searching for the   
warrantee.   
  
"What can I get you ladies?" the waiter asked.  
  
"Tea."  
  
"Coffee."  
  
The waiter disappeared, leaving the dragons relatively alone again. The silence   
was deafening. Neither one spoke for several minutes, refusing to even look at one   
another. Finally…  
  
"Amara…"  
  
"Filia…"  
  
They paused.  
  
"About what you saw last night…"  
  
"No, Filia, please. Let me." Amara took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "It is   
not my place to pass judgement on how you conduct your relationship with Lord Xellos…"  
  
"That's kind of you to say, but…"  
  
"BUT WHY HAVEN'T YOU BEDDED HIM?!" Amara suddenly cried.   
  
Every head in the restaurant turned to Filia. The golden dragon turned beet red and   
started to sweat. She turned and angry glare on her sister. "Amara!"  
  
The older dragon wouldn't hear it. "Filia! He's….Can't you…" She sighed and   
shook her head.   
  
"I have no interest at all in that…that…NAMAGOMI!"  
  
From across the table, Naga snorted.  
  
"What's THAT supposed to mean?!" Filia asked the sorceress harshly.  
  
"Deus ex Machina," Naga began, "You can say whatever you like, but the fact of   
the matter is, that passion pill Lina chan gave you turned you into jelly every time you   
heard his voice."  
  
"That…That doesn't mean anything!" Filia defended.  
  
"Passion pill?" Amara asked.  
  
Naga grinned. "It means more than you think, child. Passion pills only work on   
pre-existing attraction." She stood up and put her grinning face an inch from Filia's. "That   
means there's a REASON you went after Xellos, and not Jeffrey or any other man in Atlas   
City."  
  
Filia growled. "I'm going to say this just once," she said deathly quiet. "I am not   
attracted to Xellos in any way…shape…or form."  
  
"I'm confused," Amara admitted. "I thought you and he were to be married."  
  
The younger dragon sighed. "Amara, I only said that to keep YOU away from him!   
He's a dangerous, EVIL man!"  
  
"I don't believe that for a minute," Amara told her.  
  
"Then you're a fool!" Filia cried. "There isn't a single good thing about him! Not   
one redeeming quality! You give him FAR too much credit!"  
  
"Didn't he help you save the world?" Amara asked in a whisper.  
  
Filia was halted dead in her tracks. "I hate him," she whispered.  
  
"So?" Naga asked with a shrug. She grinned evilly. "They say hate sex is the best   
sex."  
  
"If you hate him so much, then why are you even here?!" Amara asked bitterly.  
  
"Because Little Val needs…"  
  
"Oh, please, Filia!" Amara snapped. "You're not THAT naïve!" Filia blinked.   
"Are you telling me the Kataart dragons would have turned him away? That the LAST   
Ancient Dragon would've been tossed aside to fend for himself!" Filia took a step back,   
and Amara advanced. "Why do you use your mace, Filia, when you KNOW you'll never   
be able to hit him with it?"   
  
Naga arched an eyebrow at this and waited for Filia to answer.  
  
"Why not use one of your spells to destroy him?" Amara continued. "If he is so   
intolerable, then why do you tolerate him?!"  
  
Filia gulped. "I…I…"  
  
"Somebody help me!"  
  
The three of them turned to find Shadow Lina dragging something inside through the   
doorway. Amara gasped.  
  
"Lord Xellos!"  
  
"I found him in the street!" Shadow Lina explained as she dragged the unmoving   
form inside. "I can't tell if he's alive or not!"  
  
"Let's get him upstairs, quickly!" Amara ordered. They each took a limb and   
started up the stairs. As they cleared the stairwell and started down the hall, they ran into   
Jeffrey.   
  
"Hey, what's going on?" he asked.  
  
"Mister Xellos is sick!" Shadow Lina whined.  
  
"Okay, everyone! This way!" Amara ordered, holding onto Xellos' left arm.   
"Um…Which room is his?"  
  
"He doesn't have one," Naga explained, holding onto the Mazoku's right leg.  
  
"He doesn't?" Shadow Lina asked, holding onto the left leg. "I just thought he   
went to bed really late and just woke up really early…"  
  
"We'll put him in Filia's room!" Amara told them. She started pulling the priest   
down towards her sister's room.  
  
"Wait just a second!" Filia cried, Xellos' right arm in her hands. "Why MY   
room?!"  
  
"Because he's YOUR fiancé!" Amara growled.  
  
"I just got done telling you…"  
  
"Hey, could we have this spat later?!" Naga interjected. "He's heavy, you know!"  
  
"Actually," Shadow Lina whispered. "I think he's lighter than he was before…"  
  
Amara took a sharp breath and started pulling them down the hall. "Come on!" she   
urged.   
  
Despite Filia's protests, they did carrying him into the younger dragon's room and   
deposited him on her bed. Amara tucked him in and felt his forehead. Pulling her hand   
away, she looked at it and blinked.   
  
There was a faint glowing mist of black on her hand. She gasped and started   
rolling up her sleeves. "Miss Lina," she began, "Bring me bandages, hot water, and ask the   
inn keeper for a bottle of brandy."  
  
The redhead ran from the room in search of the articles.  
  
"What's happening to him?" Filia asked her sister quietly.  
  
"He's…" She shook her head. "I don't know. I don't have a word for it. It's like   
his astral form is melting away."  
  
"And you think bandages are going to fix that?" Naga asked.  
  
"The bandages aren't for him," Amara told her matter-of-factly.   
  
The shadow returned a moment later carrying everything Amara had told her to   
bring. "I also asked Mister Inn Keeper to make some chicken soup. Luna Oneechan   
always made me chicken soup when I was sick. I thought it might help."  
  
"I'm afraid chicken soup won't be enough," Amara whispered. "Not in this case."   
She turned to the lanky boy standing behind her. "Mister Jeffrey, may I have your dagger   
please?"  
  
Jeffrey blinked, but handed the dragon the small knife.  
  
"Are you going to operate, Miss Dragon Lady?" Shadow Lina asked worriedly.  
  
"No," Amara said quietly, "I'm going to give him the Mazoku version of chicken   
soup." She held her left palm out in front of her, took a deep breath, and slowly cut into   
her flesh with the knife. The dragon maiden winced and grit her teeth in pain.  
  
"Amara!" Filia cried, grabbing her sister's arm and pulling the knife away. "What   
do you think you're doing?!"  
  
She broke off as the Mazoku on the bed took a deep breath. Filia blinked.  
  
"Mazoku feed on things like pain," Amara explained, nursing her wounded hand.   
"He's wasting away. If we don't get him what he needs soon, he's going to die."  
  
There was silence for a moment.   
  
Amara picked up the knife again and prepared to make another cut in her hand.   
Before she could, however, the blade was plucked from her hand. Naga stood over her   
and brandished her palm. "The more he gets, the better, right?" she asked. Amara only   
nodded. "Hmmph," Naga sniffed. "Never let it be said that Naga the White Serpent is an   
uncaring employer!" With that, the sorceress cut into her palm and let the blood dribble   
down her arm.  
  
Lying on the bed, Xellos' head rolled to one side, and a soft whimper escaped from   
his lips.  
  
Naga saw the blood on her hand and shut her eyes, her face turning pale.   
"Blood…I hate blood…" Shadow Lina took some of the bandages and started to wrap up   
her employer's hand. Naga looked to the other three Flaming Heroes. "Well?" she asked   
expectantly.  
  
Shadow Lina looked scared, but Jeffrey stepped forward. "Any knight would   
gladly accept pain to help a fallen comrade!" he announced. "And now, I shall…" Before   
he could finish, however, Naga had taken his hand and made a quick cut in it. "OWIE!!!"   
Jeffrey screamed, holding his hand. "That really hurt!" Tears were threatening to flow   
down his face. "Owieowieowieowie!" he whimpered.  
  
"Poor Lord Jeffrey," Shadow Lina sniffed as she helped bandage his hand. She   
turned and found Naga holding the knife out to her. "Me?!" she squeaked.  
  
"You have to," Naga told her.  
  
"Why?!" the shadow whimpered. "It'll hurt!"  
  
"Don't you want to help Xellos?" Naga asked her.  
  
"Well…yeah, but…" The shadow looked miserable. She sighed. "Would the   
original Lina do this to help him?"  
  
"HA!" Naga laughed. "By now Lina would have stabbed ME again so SHE   
wouldn't have to!"  
  
The shadow sighed again and took the knife. "Fine…" She cringed and whined for   
a bit, the slowly put the tip of the knife to her palm.  
  
"Wait!"   
  
They all looked up to see Jeffrey walking towards her. He took the knife from   
Shadow Lina and raised his other hand.  
  
"If it means Lina doesn't have to do it…I'll do myself again…" He placed the tip   
of the knife on his palm.   
  
"Lord Jeffrey! You mustn't!" Shadow Lina squeaked.  
  
Jeffrey posed. "If it means sparing you pain, Lina, I'm willing to…" Before he   
cold finish, Naga leaned over and smacked the hilt of the knife with her hand, forcing the   
tip into the boy's hand. "OOOOWWWWWW!!!!!!" he screamed, holding his newly   
wounded hand. "OWIEOWIEOWIEOWIE!!!" He started dancing around the room,   
blowing on the cut.  
  
"Lord Jeffrey!" the shadow cried, grabbing some bandages and the bottle of brandy   
to disinfect it.  
  
Xellos whimpered again in his sleep.  
  
The others turned to Filia.   
  
"Filia," Amara began, "I know what you're going to say, but…" Filia cut her off   
however by taking the knife, wrapping her hand around it, and quickly slicing her palm   
open. She winced and shut her eyes, a small whimper of pain escaping her lips.   
  
"Well?" Naga asked Amara as she leaned over the priest.  
  
"I think it's going to take more than that," Amara whispered.  
  
"Well, I like him too, but we can't keep stabbing each other!" Naga complained.  
  
Suddenly, there was laughter.  
  
They turned and found Filia laughing as she bandaged her hand. "How stupid can   
we get?" she asked.  
  
"Huh?" Shadow Lina asked.  
  
"HE'S FAKING!" Filia screamed. "Don't you see?! This…This is just another of   
his stupid pranks!" She pointed at the body on the bed. "Any second now he's going to   
jump up and yell, 'SURPRISE!' and laugh at how stupid we are!"  
  
"Filia," Amara whispered.  
  
"We're being conned!" the dragon continued. "Just like always!"  
  
"I don't think…" Shadow Lina began.  
  
As the words were leaving the shadow's mouth, Filia charged forward and grabbed   
the Mazoku by the front of his robes. "WAKE UP!" she screamed as Amara and Naga   
grabbed a hold of her robes. "STOP PLAYING AROUND! OPEN YOUR EYES,   
DAMMIT!" She reached back, then slapped the priest across the face with her wounded   
hand. Tears of pain formed in her eyes from the hot sting in her hand.  
  
"Filia! Stop it!" Amara cried, pulling on the dragon. Filia shrugged her off, her   
mind on one task.  
  
"Miss Dragon Lady! Please!"  
  
"WAKE UP! I'M NOT FALLING FOR IT THIS TIME, NAMAGOMI!" She   
reached back and slapped him again. She cried out as shockwaves of pain ran through her   
hand. "OPEN YOUR DAMN EYES AND SAY SOMETHING!"  
  
Another slap, and another cry of pain.  
  
"YOU STUPID, FILTHY, DISGUSTING, SLEAZY, LECHEROUS, BLACK-  
HEARTED, PERVERTED, WEAKLING, NAMAGOOOOMMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!"  
  
Another slap.  
  
Suddenly, Xellos gasped and took a deep breath, gulping for air. Filia blinked in   
shock. She felt Amara pull her bodily away and saw her lean over the Mazoku.  
  
"Well I'll be damned!" Naga exclaimed. "Now THAT'S tough love!"  
  
  
  
It seemed to take all his strength merely to open his eyes, but he did it. Narrow   
slits hinting at purple eyes were barely perceived as open at all. His vision was still fuzzy,   
and most of the information about his surroundings came from his hearing or, in one   
dragon's case, his sense of smell.  
  
Filia was in the room. He could sense her pheromones and that perfume she wore.   
She was nearby.   
  
What had happened?  
  
Wait…He remembered.   
  
Metallium had cast him out, taken away his rights as a Mazoku, and left him to die   
in the street. He was no longer Xellos Metallium, vassal of the Lord Beastmaster   
Metallium, General Priest of the Grand Army of Wolfpack Island…  
  
He was Xellos No Name, a Mazoku who was no longer a Mazoku.  
  
He was nothing.  
  
Less than nothing.  
  
The nothing felt someone touch his face. He turned his head and saw a blonde   
woman looking down at him. Squinting, he tried to make out her face. He couldn't speak   
yet, and instead mouthed the word, "Filia?"  
  
"No, Lord Xellos," Amara whispered. "It's me. Amara."  
  
"Is he talking?" he heard Shadow Lina ask.  
  
Nothing.  
  
Less than nothing.  
  
He began mouthing the words over and over again.  
  
Nothing….Less than nothing…  
  
Amara placed her ear near his lips, listening. From the faint sounds made by his   
moving lips as he breathed, she could just make it out.  
  
"What is he saying?" Filia asked.  
  
Amara strained to listen as the words from the Mazoku's mouth changed suddenly.  
  
Kill me.  
  
The older dragon pulled away from the Mazoku and blinked. "He…um…Says   
thank you," she lied. Standing up, she turned to the others. "He should have some rest   
now."  
  
"But what if he still needs more bad feelings?" Jeffrey asked.  
  
"No problem," Naga announced. "Jeffrey, come here." The boy eyed the knife   
warily. "Oh, relax! I'm not going to cut you again! Just come here!" Jeffrey cluelessly   
smiled and stepped forward.   
  
Naga placed her left hand on his shoulder, balled her right hand into a fist, and   
punched Jeffrey in the stomach. The boy gasped in pain and fell to one knee.  
  
"Lord Jeffrey!" Shadow Lina cried.  
  
"That oughta do it!" Naga announced, clapping her hands off. "Who wants lunch?"  
  
  
  
"I found this lying nearby," Shadow Lina commented as she placed the top half of   
Xellos' staff on the lunch table. "I guess someone broke it, huh?"  
  
Amara reached out and took the staff, examining the dark orb that sat at the top.   
Things were beginning to make more sense now…  
  
"So," Naga begins, a finger at her lips in thought. "Xellos is walking down the   
street, minding his own business, when someone…" She thought for several moments.   
"Sneaks up behind him and hits him on the back of the head with a shovel?" She shrugged.  
  
"I don't know, Miss Naga," Jeffrey said, "Mister Xellos is a pretty skilled   
warrior. I can't see that happening." Shadow Lina nodded in agreement.  
  
"Maybe he was mugged," Shadow Lina suggested.  
  
"No," Amara said. "This is more serious than that. His staff was broken."  
  
"So?" Naga asked. "Maybe he cracked it over one of the muggers' heads."  
  
The dragon shook her head. "A Mazoku staff isn't a piece of wood and jewelry.   
It's an astral representation of the power his overlord bestows on him." She hefted the   
piece of wood. "This," she went on, "This held the accumulated power of more than a   
thousand years." She turned to Naga. "YOU couldn't break this staff."  
  
"Then who could?" Jeffrey asked.  
  
"The Ruby Eye," she answered. "Easily. The Lord of Nightmares….Perhaps one   
of the higher level Shinzoku…" She broke off. "His overlord," she whispered.   
  
"Metallium," a whisper came from the other side of the table. They turned and   
saw Filia staring into a teacup. "Metallium did it."  
  
"You mean Mister Xellos' boss did it?!" Shadow Lina asked.   
  
"How can you be so sure?" Naga asked.  
  
In answer, Filia stood up and walked away from the table, up the stairs.  
  
"Miss Amara," Shadow Lina began, "What does all this mean?"  
  
("Nothing…Less than nothing…") The Mazoku's words came back to the dragon.   
"It means, Miss Lina," she said, "That Lord Xellos is no longer a Mazoku."  
  
  
  
Filia's hand rested on the doorknob for a second, then pulled away. What reason   
did SHE have to go in there? It was his problem. And it was exactly what he deserved!  
  
So why was she going in there?  
  
Oh, yes, of course. It was HER room. All her clothes were in there.  
  
So why was she pausing?  
  
Why shouldn't she pause?! There was a lecherous, filthy namagomi in her room!  
  
But he was weak…vulnerable.  
  
Her hand rested on the knob again.  
  
He was resting. She should get her things later.  
  
Her hand came away from the doorknob again.  
  
"Why don't you sit with him for awhile?"  
  
She turned and saw Amara standing near the stairs. The elder sister started   
towards her.   
  
"I'm sure it would help," she coaxed.  
  
"I'm just getting my things," Filia sniffed.  
  
"Why are you so ashamed of liking him?" Amara asked her in genuine puzzlement.  
  
"I DON'T like him," Filia growled. "He's trash! I just want to get my things and   
move to another room!"  
  
Amara scowled at her. "You…bitch!" Filia looked at her in shock. "Have you no   
pity at all!?" Amara hissed at her. "You claim to be better than they are! You're a   
priestess! Aren't priestesses supposed to show comfort and mercy to those near death!?"  
  
Filia grimaced. "He's a Mazoku! Nothing more than that! He's killed our kind!   
He's tried to kill ME!"  
  
"And you tried to kill him, right?!"  
  
"Yes! And I'd do it again!"  
  
Amara reached out and pushed the door open. Xellos was unconscious on Filia's   
bed. "Go for it!"  
  
"Wha…What are you talking about?!"  
  
"Time to put up or shut up, Filia!" Amara told her. "There he is! Your worst   
enemy! Weakened! Vulnerable! Go ahead! Finish the job! Kill him!"  
  
"It's what he deserves!" Filia countered.   
  
"Then do it!"  
  
"Don't tempt me!"  
  
"I'm not tempting you, Filia! I'm TELLING you straight out!"  
  
Filia turned to the wounded Mazoku, closed her eyes, and raised her hands.   
Amara blinked in shock. "Manaku….Soromu…" Holy energy began to charge in her   
hands. She opened an eye and looked at Amara, who had her arms folded over her chest,   
waiting. "…Zanaku…" More energy spun around her hands, waiting to be hurled at a   
target.   
  
Amara continued to wait.  
  
"…Sakurimu…"  
  
She pointed her hands at Xellos, broken and in no position to defend himself from   
Filia's spell.  
  
Amara waited.  
  
Filia bit her lip, the energy swirling around her. All that was left was the action   
words…  
  
"Well?" Amara demanded.  
  
"I'll do it," Filia threatened. "Still think I love Xellos?"  
  
"I never said you 'loved' him, Filia," Amara bit out.  
  
"I don't! I can't!" Filia growled.  
  
"Then what are you waiting for?"  
  
Filia closed her eyes, shaking. She opened them a second later and lashed out with   
her hands into the bedroom.  
  
"CHAOTIC DISINTEGRATE!"   
  
  
  
Shadow Lina hummed at the table as she pulled her new dress out of the box and   
admired it. Emerald green with a cute little bow on the left shoulder that…  
  
An explosion from outside interrupted her thoughts. She turned and looked out he   
window as the top half of a tree hit the ground outside.  
  
She smiled and turned back to her dress. "Maybe Mister Xellos is feeling better!"  
  
  
  
The tree that had been standing outside the window was no more, but the Mazoku   
was still lying in the bed, the drapes from the window above him slightly singed from the   
spell that had gone right over him.  
  
"You missed," Amara commented dryly.  
  
Filia fell to her knees in the doorway, sobbing. "Why are you doing this to me?"   
she asked her sister. She felt Amara kneel down next to her.  
  
"Because, Filia," she whispered. "I know. I know how you were raised. I lived   
in that same house, remember? I look at you and I can practically HEAR Father   
screaming."  
  
"Father…was a good dragon," Filia whispered. "A good priest…"  
  
"But he tolerated NOTHING, Filia!" Amara hissed. "To him, humans were merely   
a type of infestation! Black Dragons were merely an 'impure race,' and the Mazoku….If   
half the things he told us about them were true, Ruby Eye himself would hang his head in   
shame and beg forgiveness!" She took her sister by the shoulders and looked into her eyes.   
"So I know," she went on. "I know…that you care for Xellos…Maybe it's not love. But   
you DO care…And because of that…you feel so ASHAMED…"  
  
Tears were running down Filia's face. She tried to look away from her sister, but   
Amara held her fast. "I…I can't…" Filia sobbed.  
  
"Why?" Amara asked. "Because of Father?! You can't hate someone because of   
what someone else thinks!"  
  
"What would he say?" Filia whispered mournfully. "If he knew? If he knew I   
had…fused my power…with Xellos'…What would he say?"  
  
Amara shook her gently. "It doesn't matter what he'd say!" She sighed.   
"Filia…You're a priestess. A good one! Better than Father because you can do something   
he never could! You can FEEL for a Mazoku. Don't hide that strength!"  
  
"It's not a strength!" Filia cried, shutting her eyes and putting her face in her hands.   
"It's not! It's a show of weakness! Of impurity! It makes me…It makes me…"  
  
"Like me?"  
  
Filia looked up at her sister's kind face, looking down at her sympathetically.  
  
("Amara Oneechan?" a much younger Filia had called out once, still too young to   
appear as anything but a dragon. "Where are you going? I thought you were visiting   
longer.")  
  
("I can't be here anymore, Filia chan. I'm going back to my mother's house.")  
  
(The tiny dragon had looked up and blinked, tears in her eyes. "But why?")  
  
("I thought you were leaving." They turned and saw their father staring at them.)  
  
("I was just saying goodbye to Filia," Amara told him in disgust.)  
  
("I don't want you here," Bazaard Ul Copt told her. "And tell your mother not to   
bother sending you here anymore. You'll end up brainwashing Filia like she brainwashed   
you." Amara turned to go.)  
  
("Amara Oneechan!" Filia cried. "Don't go!")  
  
("Filia! Go back in the house.")  
  
("But why, Father? What did Amara Oneechan do wrong?")  
  
(The older dragon knelt next to his daughter and tried to explain it the best way he   
could to a baby dragon. "Amara's become a bad person, Filia.")  
  
"Am I a bad person, Filia chan?"  
  
"He…He said you…you were brainwashed…He told me you were…"  
  
"I know," Amara whispered. "I'm sorry, Filia. I wanted to be there for you…"  
  
Filia's eyes teared up. Suddenly, she launched herself up into her sister's arms.   
"Amara Oneechan!" she cried, sobbing into Amara's dress. The elder dragon held Filia   
and let her cry.  
  
  
  
Zelas Metallium tapped her cigarette holder against the arm of her throne and   
growled. Why did things always have to go wrong for her anyway? First she loses her   
chance at the Zarak Trees…  
  
That would have put her over the top. If Xellos had retrieved those, Dynast and   
Deep Sea Dolphin would have had no choice but to rally behind her.  
  
Then Xellos goes into heat…  
  
She growled again. Of all the times for him to hit Peak, he had to choose now.   
And that DRAGON!! It infuriated her that at desperate times such as these, Xellos, one of   
the most powerful Mazoku to terrorize mankind, would choose to plant his seed in some   
dragon tart!  
  
What was wrong with HER?! She would have GLADLY offered Xellos a chance   
to be her mate!   
  
She growled again.  
  
Males were so Ruby Eye damned stupid…  
  
She stood up. "Well, there's no getting around it," she muttered. "Makato. Jinnar.   
STAND UP!"  
  
Two Mazoku appeared before her and bent to one knee. One of them, with short,   
messy brown hair, wore a simple grey outfit. The other wore a similar outfit, but more   
flamboyantly, adding a black cape and a large, red jewel on his left breast. His hair was   
combed neatly, and he wore a condescending grin on his face.   
  
Metallium regarded them both for a few moments. Jinnar's grin widened. He knew   
what he was doing here.  
  
"All right, boys!" she began. "You know why you're here. Let's get this done and   
over with." She cleared her throat. "One of you is being promoted. I need a new General   
Priest, and one of you lucky boys is it! Makato!" The messy haired boy's head shot up.   
  
"Yes, Majesty?"  
  
"'Why I Should Be The New General Priest!' One minute! Go!" Metallium   
checked her watch.  
  
"Well…I have some good ideas concerning where to take Mazoku/Ryuuzoku   
relations in the next millenium. As you know, we can no longer assume that victory is   
certain and…"  
  
"BO-RING!" the more flamboyant boy called out. He pushed Makato to the side   
and smiled. "Majesty…If I may?"  
  
"Normally I'd be miffed by your rudeness, however, since I was about to say the   
same thing anyway…" She gestured for Jinnar to continue.  
  
Jinnar cleared his throat. "Not only is victory a foregone conclusion, but I have the   
ability and the know-how to take us there." He threw his arms wide. "BEHOLD!!!" A   
large map appeared behind him in a puff of smoke!   
  
"OOOOOH!!!" Metallium cheered in awe, clapping her hands together.  
  
"You see here the world as we know it," Jinnar continued. "By taking a few key   
positions in the continent, and securing the assistance of certain key allies, among them the   
Dragon Spooker, we can forge strategic strongholds across the world. Take these areas,   
and the rest of the world falls like a house of cards! THE WORLD WILL BE OURS TO   
DESTROY AT OUR LEISURE!!! AAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"  
  
Metallium clapped enthusiastically. "Well said, Mister Jinnar!!!"  
  
"I still think that a more moderate approach to this situation would…" Makato   
began.  
  
"SHUT UP!" Metallium and Jinnar ordered.  
  
Metallium sat back in her throne and hmm'd in thought. "Callisto?"  
  
The black and white feline Mazoku appeared on the arm of her chair. "Yes,   
Majesty?"  
  
"You've observed Makato and Jinnar," she said. "Would you say there's a healthy   
rivalry there?"  
  
"Oh, most certainly, Majesty."  
  
"Would it compromise us if one were promoted above the other?"  
  
"Possibly."  
  
Metallium thought for a moment. "Very well." She stood up and pointed…  
  
At Makato. The messy-haired boy beamed. Jinnar face faulted.  
  
"Makato, as you know, a conflict within the ranks must be avoided at all costs."  
  
"I agree!" Makato replied enthusiastically.   
  
"Excellent! Give my regards to Phibby!"  
  
"Huh?!"  
  
A blast of darkness shot from Metallium's hand and struck Makato dead on. The   
Mazoku screamed as the blast consumed him from the inside out for more than a minute.   
When nothing was left, Metallium lowered her hand.  
  
"Jinnar! The job is yours until you screw up or I find someone more capable!"  
  
The newly promoted Mazoku closed his eyes and chuckled quietly. Soon, that   
chuckle erupted…  
  
"BWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! HAHA!!   
HAHA!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"  
  
  
  
Amara saw Xellos roll onto his side and stood up, placing her book, a copy of the   
Amalgamationist Philosophy, on the nightstand and approaching the wounded Mazoku.   
"Lord Xellos?" she whispered. "Can you hear me?"  
  
"I'm not dead," he whispered. He sounded just a little surprised.  
  
"We found you outside," Amara explained quietly. "Your staff was broken. Do   
you remember?"  
  
Xellos stared up at the ceiling. He remembered it well. Metallium glaring angrily   
down at him as ice clutched his entire body, then turning her back on him forever as   
darkness fell on him…  
  
"I'm not dead," he repeated, now just confused.  
  
"Of course not. We nursed you back to health," she told him. "You should have   
seen Filia," she went on with a smile. "She was so mad at you for scaring her like that."  
  
"Filia…"  
  
"Yes." She put a hand on his forehead and checked her fingers. There was no   
more of his essence there. His astral form must have stabilized.  
  
"Miss Amara,"  
  
"Yes, Lord Xellos?"  
  
He continued to stare up at the ceiling. "Kill me." His voice was so soft, so calm,   
that for a second just exactly what he had said didn't register in her mind.   
  
"Lord Xellos," she began quietly. "I'm not going to do that. You're going to live."  
  
"This isn't life," he whispered. "Not for me."  
  
"Lord Xellos," Amara tried again. "You've received a wonderful gift! A second   
chance!"  
  
"It's not a gift!" he hissed angrily, the very emotion exhausting him.  
  
Amara glared down at him angrily. "It is to Filia." Xellos said nothing. "What   
about her?" she hissed. "I was always told that Mazoku give their lives to their mates."  
  
He said nothing.  
  
"Well Filia doesn't WANT you to die!" the dragon went on.   
  
"You don't understand," he whispered. His eyes closed again.  
  
Amara sighed. She turned as a soft knock came from the door. It opened, and Filia   
stuck her head inside.  
  
"Dinner's ready," she told her older sister. "Why don't you eat? I'll sit with him."  
  
"Are you sure?" Amara asked. Filia nodded. The older dragon stood up and   
walked to the door. "Filia…He's kind of out of it. Don't take anything he says at face   
value, okay?"  
  
Filia blinked and nodded before taking a seat in the chair by the nightstand. She   
looked over at Xellos as the door closed behind Amara. The Mazoku appeared to be   
sleeping peacefully.  
  
She sighed. "You're so inconvenient. You know that, don't you, Namagomi?" she   
whispered. There was no answer. Turning, she found the book Amara had been reading   
and picked it up. Having nothing better to do, she opened it and began to read.  
  
  
  
Jinnar hmm'd as he hefted the staff granted to him by Metallium. An astral   
representation of his powers, Jinnar had some say in how it would appear. Unlike some of   
the older Mazoku, who preferred the old fashioned look, he had decided to look to the   
future a bit. His staff was polished steel with two blue orbs a foot apart in the top portion   
of the rod. The head of the staff resembled a key.  
  
He was rather proud of it.   
  
Now that HE was General Priest, he would have to set a few things in order. One,   
all mention of his former rival Makato was banned in his presence…for all eternity…  
  
Two, orders were obeyed the second they were given. Metallium was too soft on   
her subordinates. That's how that whole Xellos thing had gotten out of hand. No, he was   
going to have an iron fist. To Hell with the velvet glove.  
  
And three…He was going to need an assistant.  
  
This last one bothered him. Despite his confidence, General Priest was a daunting   
task. However, he knew that any Mazoku elevated to a position near his was a potential   
threat. He'd have to choose someone who wasn't interested in Mazoku politics…Someone   
who could be trusted to be dense…  
  
He smiled.  
  
"Iffy!" he called out. He waited. "Iffy!"   
  
Still nothing.  
  
"IFFY!!!"  
  
She appeared in a flash of light. "Huh?! What?! What I miss?! What I miss?!"   
The dark haired Mazoku girl looked from side to side anxiously, yet cluelessly. The only   
color on her mostly black and grey outfit was her red pants and her purple eyes. Pale skin   
was the only thing that really made her LOOK like anything ethereal.  
  
"YOU COME IMMEDIATELY WHEN I SUMMON YOU!!" Jinnar screamed.  
  
The girl cringed. "I'm sorry, Lord God General Priest Jinnar!" she whimpered. "I   
was sweeping the steps which is REALLY hard because Her Majesty's wolves are   
CONSTANTLY shedding, and every time I sweeped one step, a wolf would lie down on   
it, and then I'd have to sweep it AGAIN, which was REALLY frustrating because like I   
said I had JUST got done sweeping it and…"  
  
"Shut up," Jinnar ordered quietly.   
  
"Oh…Okay," the girl replied.   
  
Jinnar sighed. "All right, Iffy! Listen up!"   
  
Iffy came to attention and saluted smartly.  
  
Jinnar's eyebrow twitched. He took a deep breath. Out of all the middle-  
management Mazoku on Wolfpack Island, Iffy was probably the least likely to be a threat.   
Unlike the others, she hadn't a shred of ambition. At first, many wondered why she was   
even a Mazoku. She was constantly smiling and being a pest. She was so nice, people   
couldn't help but get annoyed and thoroughly angry at her…  
  
Which, when you think about it, makes a lot of sense if the one being annoying is a   
person who feeds on things like annoyance and rage.  
  
"Listen, Iffy, I'm making you my new assistant. No need to thank me…"  
  
"Wow! Really?!" Iffy asked, clasping her hands in front of her in glee. She started   
to bounce up and down.  
  
"STOP THAT!"  
  
"Sorry…"  
  
"All you have to do is…just…do what I tell you! Got it?!"  
  
"Roger dodger, Sir!" Iffy replied, saluting again.  
  
Jinnar growled.   
  
"Um….Sir? What am I supposed to do?"  
  
"A very good question," Jinnar admitted, rubbing his chin with his free hand. He   
thought for several minutes, trying to decide the best way to begin his plan for the   
destruction of the world.  
  
"I wonder what Lord Xellos would do?" Iffy mused. She snapped her fingers. "I   
know! I'll go ask him!"  
  
"Idiot…Xellos is dead."  
  
Iffy blinked. "No he's not. I was talking to Lord Callisto, and he said that Xellos   
was still alive."  
  
Jinnar looked at her in shock. "I was told he was gone…"  
  
"Oh, yeah! He's gone!"  
  
"Good…"  
  
"He's just not dead, that's all!" She smiled brightly.  
  
"Xellos…isn't…dead…" Jinnar bit out. Iffy blinked as he began to stalk back and   
forth like a cat. Jinnar wasn't like other Mazoku. He had ambitions of his own. Dreams of   
accomplishing what Gaav had not filled his head…  
  
Those dreams could quickly become nightmares if a prodigal son like Xellos were   
to return at exactly the wrong moment.  
  
He'd have to be dealt with…  
  
"Um…Mister Lord God General Priest Jinnar Sir?" Iffy asked.  
  
"Hmmm hmm hmm hmm…."  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"Hahahaha…."  
  
Iffy sweatdropped.  
  
"BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! HAHAHA!!!   
HAHA HAHA HAHA!!!!"  
  
  
  
Am I a bad person, Filia chan?  
  
  
  
The dragon's eyes snapped open and searched the room around her. Despite the   
voice in her head, she could see plainly that Xellos was still unconscious in bed. She took   
a breath and blinked the sleep out of her eyes. What time was it?  
  
The sun was going down outside the window. She stood up and placed the book on   
the nightstand again. The Amalgamationists had some very interesting, if totally naïve,   
ideas. She'd have to try to finish the book…Without Amara knowing, of course. If she   
displayed the slightest interest, her older sister would go into full blown "Recruit" mode   
and attempt to bring Filia into the folds of her cult…er…movement.  
  
She stepped over to Xellos' bedside and looked down at him. It was hard to tell if   
he was any better. It wasn't as if he had normal vital signs that they could check. He   
just…existed.  
  
Reaching out, she paused only an inch from touching his forehead. She had seen   
Amara do this, so maybe it would give her some indication as to how he was doing.   
Maybe he had a fever or was clammy…  
  
This was ridiculous. There was no reason at all not to check on his condition. She   
reached out and placed her palm on his forehead.  
  
Nothing. Neither hot nor cold. Just…there.  
  
She sighed. (See? That wasn't so hard.) The dragon started to pull her hand away,   
then found she couldn't. Blinking and looking down, she saw Xellos' hand around her   
wrist.  
  
The dragon took a relieved breath. "Xellos," she whispered. "You scared me."  
  
He didn't reply. That's when she noticed that his eyes were still closed. He rolled   
over onto his side and pulled her hand closer to his face.  
  
Filia sweatdropped and tried to free her hand without overly disturbing the   
sleeping Mazoku. Despite his apparent weakness, she found his grip to be vice-like.   
  
"Namagomi," she growled softly. "Let go of me." She could feel his breath   
grazing her fingers as he slept. "Let go! I mean it!" She tried pulling harder, but she was   
simply stuck.  
  
Growling, she pulled her mace with her other hand and raised it over her head.   
She'd break his grip AND his hand if she had to. Gritting her teeth, she prepared to bring   
the mace down.  
  
"Filia…chan…" he mumbled sleepily.  
  
The dragon's expression softened. She lowered her mace and sighed.   
  
"Dammit," she muttered.   
  
Giving up, she reached out with her mace and snagged the chair she had been sitting   
in, pulling it to her and sitting down. The Mazoku's grip on her hand hadn't weakened in   
the slightest. She sighed again and rested her chin in her hand.   
  
"This doesn't mean I care," she told him. "It just means I don't want Amara   
Oneechan yelling at me for bashing your namagomi skull in."  
  
After five minutes without his grip weakening, she decided to give up and settle in   
for a long wait. Reaching out with her mace, she pulled the book she had been reading   
back to her, opened it with one hand, and started to read.  
  
  
  
"Seyruun," Scarrin growled as he looked through the small field-scope at the city   
in the distance. "Wonderful. It would take an army to get them out of there, and from the   
looks of things, they're going to get there before we can intercept."  
  
"Perhaps the Mazoku could help," Zero suggested, the bandage over his eye   
replaced by a red patch.  
  
Scarrin shook his head. "There's something going on on Wolfpack Island," he   
muttered. "Something's changed. Best not to ask for a favor until the dust settles." He   
growled. "Shit!"  
  
"Why not just go in and get them?" Gandrav asked.  
  
The yellow-eyed man turned to the wolf and grimaced. "We're not talking about   
storming a back-country inn. Seyruun is one of the most heavily fortified areas on the   
continent. The chimera knows us now. They have the advantage. We'll just have to wait   
for them to come out."  
  
"Maybe we don't."  
  
The three of them turned to the woman looking out at the city. "Greysword?"   
Scarrin prompted.  
  
She turned to them. "WE can't go in there and get them…But someone else could."  
  
"Berserkers wouldn't last ten minutes…" Zero began.  
  
"Not berserkers," Greysword continued. She thought for a moment. "I think I have   
an idea. If I may?" she asked Scarrin. The yellow eyed man nodded, and the   
swordswoman started for a horse. "It may take some time to arrange things. I'll be back as   
soon as I can and meet you at Yet, near the outskirts of Seyruun."  
  
"Where are you going?" Gandrav asked.  
  
Greysword smiled. "To find someone who CAN go in there." With that, she   
started off.  
  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Jinnar and Iffy… Some of you cheered, and the rest need an explanation. ^_^ Yes, they   
ARE based on Jinnai and Ifurita from El Hazard: The Wanderers. Think of Jinnar and Iffy   
as guest stars. If you haven't seen El Hazard and El Hazard: The Wanderers, you need to.   
It's one of the best animes out there, and characters like Jinnai and Ifurita are why.  



	18. Operation Double Trouble! Two New Disco...

Slayers belongs to Kadokawa Shoten.  
  
JINNAR: BWAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! FINALLY!!! I, GENERAL   
PRIEST JINNAR OF LORD BEASTMASTER'S INVINCIBLE MAZOKU ARMY, HAVE   
FINALLY RISEN TO A POSITION OF POWER AND RESPECT!!! AND DO YOU KNOW   
WHY?!  
  
IFFY: Because AIC and Pioneer are too cheap to cast us in new roles?  
  
JINNAR: NO, YOU BUMBLING IDIOT!!! IT'S BECAUSE I HAVE FINALLY PROVEN   
MYSELF SUPERIOR TO XELLOS IN LORD BEASTMASTER'S EYES!!!  
  
IFFY: Riiiiiigggghhhhttt….Well…whatever! I'm off to Seyruun! Supposedly, the Dragon   
Spooker and her entourage just arrived there!  
  
  
Faces: After!  
Part 18  
Operation Double Trouble!  
Two New Discoveries!  
  
  
  
"Oooog…" Amelia commented, putting her hand on her stomach. She looked across the   
campsite at the others and found that the expressions on their faces were those of disgust.   
  
"Oi. Are you okay, Amelia?" Gourry asked.  
  
"Yeah," she sighed. "Just a little twinge, but at least it's not as bad as it was a few days   
ago." She looked at Lina and glowered a little. "We lost two days, you know," she chastised the   
redhead. "I still don't see why it was so urgent that we stop at THAT restaurant." She took a deep   
breath. "I mean, all you can eat raw oysters for a silver piece?! That should've been a sign…"  
  
Lina, still wearing her green dress after more than a week of unprecedented hell, growled   
at Amelia's tone. "It's called 'eating frugally,'" she bit out. "And besides…Oysters are good for   
certain parts of the body…" She glared at Gourry hatefully.  
  
The blond was oblivious. "Which parts?"  
  
"If you have to ask, you'll never know," Lina sighed. "But it doesn't matter. We're all   
over it now. We can get back to what's important."  
  
"Everyone but poor Miss Sylphiel," Amelia noted in quiet sympathy.  
  
"Is she still sick?" Gourry asked.  
  
Amelia nodded. She took a cleansing breath. They were only six hours from Seyruun now,   
but would it matter with all of them getting over a case of food poisoning? She posed and pointed   
down the road. "JUSTICE ON A SOUR STOMACH IS STILL JUSTICE!!" she cried. "I,   
AMELIA WIL TESLA SEYRUUN, SHALL BRAVE ANY PLAGUE, ANY ILLNESS, ANY…"   
  
She continued to give her speech, relying on Justice to quell her nausea.  
  
  
  
Not far away from the campsite, still within earshot of Amelia's Justice speech as a matter   
of fact, Zelgadis was performing the ultimate test of love and devotion in the universe. Some men   
proved their love by slaying dragons. Others bought expensive gifts. Some climbed tall buildings   
and shouted their love to the world.  
  
But this wasn't the ultimate test of devotion. There was only one test for that. One way to   
prove to a woman that their love was real. And Zelgadis was taking that test right this instant.  
  
That's right.  
  
He was holding Sylphiel's hair back for her while she puked.  
  
Wincing sympathetically while she retched, Zelgadis sighed and offered her a rag. The   
shrine maiden took the towel with one hand and wiped her mouth.   
  
"It's…not fair," she said quietly. "Miss Lina…ate…a hundred more oysters than   
I…did…Why am I the one…that's still sick?"  
  
"It's probably just your metabolism," he said as she stood up.   
  
"I'm sorry, Zelgadis dear," she said weakly.   
  
"Seyruun is only six hours away," he told her gently. "Once we're there, you can rest as   
long as you need to. Maybe see a doctor."  
  
"Please don't trouble yourself," she replied. "I'm fine. Really." She smiled for his   
benefit.  
  
The expression on his face told her point blank that he didn't buy it.  
  
"Hey! You guys about ready?"  
  
They turned and found Lina fighting her way towards them, her dress getting snagged by   
branches, and her high-heeled feet tripping over every rock the Lord of Nightmares ever created.  
  
"Yes, of course," Sylphiel told her. "I just have to pack up a few things, and I'll be all   
set!" She gave Zelgadis a last smile and started back towards camp.  
  
Zelgadis looked at Lina as she tried to unsnag her skirt from a branch and sighed. "Lina,   
why are you still wearing that thing? All you're doing is slowing us down."  
  
"Dammit," she muttered. "He WILL make a move…THIS, I VOW!"  
  
The chimera shook his head. "Because you're more lady-like now?"  
  
"That's right!"  
  
"Like Sylphiel?"  
  
She nodded, her face one of a general preparing for battle.  
  
Zelgadis sighed. "Has it occurred to you that despite being more lady-like, and being   
better at it than YOU, Sylphiel never even got Gourry to turn his head?"  
  
Lina paused, her eyes going wide. One could almost see the candle of realization flash to   
life. "You son of a bitch," she hissed, the candle of realization growing into the wild flames of   
rage. "Why didn't you say something like that….SOONER!!!!???"  
  
Zelgadis took a step back. "Er…Lina…"  
  
"Just shut up!" she growled, running behind a tree. "And stand watch while I change!"  
  
The chimera sighed again. "This is going to be one of those days," he muttered. A second   
later, a green dress was thrown at him from behind the tree.  
  
"I thought that damn thing was going to kill me," she growled. This statement was   
followed by a pair of flung heels being tossed in the chimera's direction.   
  
Zelgadis shook his head and smiled. His smile wavered a second later. "Lina? I need a   
favor."  
  
"Yeah? What?"  
  
"I think there's something wrong with Sylphiel. Not just the oysters. I mean something   
REALLY wrong."  
  
Lina said nothing from behind the tree. Finally, she spoke up. "So what's the favor?"  
  
"She refuses to go see a doctor. Do you think you could…"  
  
"Sure. No problem," the redhead promised. "I know a professional Healer in Seyruun. I   
trust her. I'll drag Sylphiel there if you like."  
  
"Thank you, Lina. For some reason, she won't open up to me." He looked down at the   
dress in his hands. "What do you want me to do with this?"  
  
"Burn it!"  
  
He examined the tag on it and arched an eyebrow. "Neelum Garak made this dress?" he   
asked.  
  
"I think that was the guy's name. He was a little busy cowering at the time to introduce   
himself."  
  
Zelgadis nodded and tucked the dress into his pack without saying anything. "Ready?"  
  
Lina, now arrayed in her old outfit, stepped out from behind the tree. "Let's get this show   
on the road."  
  
  
  
Seyruun was a much different place than Amelia remembered it. It seemed that the entire   
city was being decorated for a gigantic party. People were bustling to and fro in the street, all of   
them busy with their own lives while at the same time preparing themselves with the event of the   
century.  
  
Watching from the window of a room in their inn, Amelia growled at the scene. "I still   
don't get it!" she cried, turning on the others. "We're here! Let's go to the palace! That little   
imposter could be doing ANYTHING in my name right now!"  
  
"Settle down, Amelia," Lina counseled. "Right now we still don't know everything that's   
going on. If you go down there and cause a big scene, who knows what could happen? Phil might   
be in danger, for all we know. That's why YOU have to stay out of sight."  
  
The princess grumbled.  
  
"So what DO we do?" Gourry asked.  
  
"I know some guys that can help," Lina told them. "Sylphiel and I will go check them out.   
The rest of you stay here and try not to draw attention to yourselves."  
  
"Me, Miss Lina?" Sylphiel asked in surprise.  
  
"Yeah, I need someone who can actually blend into a crowd."  
  
"Oh…Okay…"  
  
Lina turned to the others. "You guys sit tight. We'll be back late this afternoon."  
  
Gourry and Zelgadis nodded. Amelia clenched her fists and growled, but sighed a moment   
later and nodded her assent.  
  
"All right. C'mon, Sylphiel." The door closed behind them, and Amelia turned back to the   
window. She could see the Seyruun palace not far away.  
  
"Hold on, Papa," she whispered.  
  
  
  
"So who are these people we're going to see, Miss Lina?" Sylphiel asked as they walked   
down the busy Seyruun thoroughfare.   
  
"I know a couple of guys that make it their business to stick their noses in other people's   
business. If anyone knows what's going on, it's them….usually."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"But first," Lina went on, "We have another stop to make."  
  
Sylphiel blinked at the redhead's back as the sorceress turned and walked into another   
building. The shrine maiden looked up above the door and saw a sign with a picture of a staff   
surrounded by a serpent.  
  
"Miss Lina? Are you sick?" Sylphiel asked as she hurried after the sorceress.  
  
  
  
"Oi, Amelia…Should we be doing this? Lina told us to stay put."  
  
Amelia turned from peering around an alley corner and flashed her 'Poor Little Me' eyes at   
Gourry. "Mister Gourry, please!" she begged. "What if Papa really is in trouble? The longer we   
delay, the more danger he could be in."  
  
"But why did we have to wait until Zelgadis was in the bathroom to sneak out?"  
  
"He wouldn't understand!" Amelia explained.  
  
"Understand what?" came the question behind Gourry's back. The two conspirators' eyes   
went wide. Gourry turned and found Zelgadis standing behind him, his arms folded over his chest.  
  
"Oh….Zel…" Gourry said lamely, his hand going to the back of his head. "We were   
just….stargazing…"  
  
"It's ten o'clock in the morning," Zelgadis pointed out.  
  
"The sun's a star," Gourry pointed out.  
  
The chimera sighed.  
  
"Mister Zelgadis, please!" Amelia cried, tears in her eyes. "Who knows what's   
happening in the palace right now!? I know what Miss Lina said, and I agree that she's right, but I   
have to make sure! I'm not going to start anything! I just want to take a quick look and make sure   
everything is okay!"  
  
Zelgadis watched as Amelia turned on the eyes again and flashed him her most pathetic   
look. He sighed. "Fine," he said. "We'll all go. One quick look to check on Phil, then we go   
back to the inn. Agreed?"  
  
The princess rushed up and hugged the chimera. "THANK YOU, MISTER ZELGADIS!"  
  
Zelgadis blushed a bit and sighed for a third time. "C'mon, let's go." He started to walk   
past them and out into the street when he bumped right into someone. "Oh, excuse me," he   
apologized quickly.  
  
"Oh! No! My fault!" a dark haired girl in black, grey, and red answered him. She smiled   
from beneath a cloak. "I'm really sorry!" She gestured apologetically with a long, metal staff with   
a semi-circular head.  
  
"Don't mention it." Without another word, the chimera, princess, and swordsman   
continued down the street.  
  
Iffy blinked at them as they left. "Hmmmm…" she thought, tapping the end of her new staff   
on the ground. "A chimera….a busty young girl….and a tall blonde swordsman….Why do I feel   
like I'm supposed to know them?" She shrugged and smiled. "Whatever!" Humming, she began   
skipping down the street. She had orders from Lord God General Priest Jinnar. Her first REAL   
assignment.  
  
She just hoped that the princess of Seyruun didn't go anywhere until she got to the palace.  
  
  
  
"This really isn't necessary," Sylphiel explained as the blonde woman had her sit up on an   
exam table. "It's just a little food poisoning. I'm fine. Really."  
  
The blonde, a Healer Lina had introduced as 'Ritsuko,' smiled and held a small, white gem   
to the shrine maiden's chest. "Just breathe deep for me," she requested.  
  
Sylphiel gave up and obeyed the woman, taking several deep breaths. Though she was a   
healer priestess, herself, Healers were a different group of people entirely. She trusted in her faith   
in Cepheid and her skill in magic to heal wounds and illnesses. Healers used magic to an extent,   
but were much more skilled in diagnosis and helping the body's natural regenerative abilities in   
healing themselves.  
  
"Lina says you've been throwing up a lot lately," Ritsuko commented, switching gems.   
She held a ruby to Sylphiel's chest, right over her heart, and watched as the gem pulsed with a   
light of its own in time to the shrine maiden's heart.  
  
"Well…we all have," Sylphiel told her. "Bad oysters."  
  
"She said that was a week ago, and that the rest of them are over it," Ritsuko continued.,   
moving the gem to Sylphiel's back.  
  
"Well…yes…"  
  
The Healer brought the gem back around and pressed it against Sylphiel's midsection and   
stomach. She paused for a moment. "Miss Sylphiel, are you married?"  
  
The priestess blushed. "N…no…"  
  
Ritsuko smiled. "Special someone then?"  
  
Sylphiel nodded.  
  
The Healer eyed her for a moment then took a step back. "Miss Sylphiel, here's my   
diagnosis…"  
  
  
  
Lina tapped her knee as she sat in Ritsuko's waiting room. Ritsuko was one of the few   
Healers she actually trusted enough to let sedate her, so she knew Sylphiel was in good hands.   
And it was only an hour out of their day, so what was the harm? If it made Zel feel better, all the   
better.  
  
Her head picked up as Sylphiel stepped out of the exam room. She was looking down at   
the floor and moving slowly.   
  
"Hey, Sylphiel," Lina called out. "You okay?"  
  
"Yes," the shrine maiden told her. "Miss Ritsuko says…I'm perfectly fine."  
  
"Oh." Lina blinked. "That's great." She smiled.   
  
"Yes," Sylphiel said quietly. Ritsuko stepped out of the room a second later.   
  
"Well, Miss Sylphiel. Good luck." She smiled and bowed. "Lina, see you around."  
  
"Thanks, Ritsu. Come on, Sylphiel. We have loonies to meet."  
  
The shrine maiden nodded dully and followed the sorceress out of the building.  
  
  
  
"I can't believe how easy it was to get this far," Gourry commented as Amelia fiddled   
with the lock on the servant's entrance of the palace.   
  
"Yeah. No wonder Phil was so easily duped," Zelgadis threw in. "If security is this   
lax…"  
  
"Got it!" Amelia cried victoriously as the door swung open. "C'mon! Let's go!" Without   
waiting, she rushed inside.  
  
The two men shrugged and followed her in.  
  
Amelia snuck from door to door like a ninja, stopping periodically to check around corners   
and doorways. Gourry and Zelgadis, meanwhile, were simply walking behind her.  
  
"Oi, Amelia," Gourry began. "I wonder how someone was able to just come in and pose   
as you."  
  
"A good question," Zelgadis agreed. "Amelia isn't exactly an easy act to follow."  
  
"Mister Zelgadis!" Amelia cried with a blush. "I'm touched. You think I'm deep!"  
  
"No," Zelgadis corrected her. "I think there isn't enough caffeine in the world to make a   
person bounce around as much as you do."  
  
Amelia's eye twitched. "Mister Zelgadis….that's harsh," she told him in annoyance.  
  
"And yet very true," Gourry nodded. Amelia threw the swordsman a withering look.  
  
They turned a corner and stopped dead in their tracks as they almost ran into a man. He   
was handsome, tall, with brown hairs and a fairly muscular frame. He blinked at them.  
  
They blinked back.  
  
"Who are you?!" the man cried.  
  
"Who are you?!" Amelia shouted back.  
  
"Amelia, you know this guy?" Gourry asked. The princess shook her head.  
  
"What are you doing in the palace?!" the man asked.   
  
Amelia's eyes narrowed. "He's seen too much," she uttered. Zelgadis and Gourry   
watched in amazement as the tiny princess leapt out and grabbed the man, putting him in a sleeper   
hold until his eyes closed and he went limp.  
  
She stood up a moment later and wiped her brow. Posing and giving the two shocked men   
the victory sign, she started back down the hall.  
  
"What do we do with him?" Gourry asked.  
  
Zelgadis sighed and picked the unconscious man up, throwing him over his shoulder and   
starting after Amelia.  
  
  
  
Lina knocked on the door and sighed. She really hated asking these guys for help.   
Sometimes they had good information, and other times just wild theories that made her shake her   
head and sigh. Hopefully, being so close to the action this time, they actually knew something   
worthwhile.  
  
"The Lone Swordsmen," Sylphiel read off the small brass plaque on the door.  
  
Before Lina could comment, a slit in the door about eye level opened and a pair of eyes   
behind a pair of horn-rimmed glasses appeared. "Listen, Johnny Law," a voice spoke up, "I told   
you. We already paid our property taxes. You can tell your tax man overseers that we're…"  
  
"It's me, Langley, open the door," Lina instructed.  
  
The eyes paused. The slit closed. The sound of several locks being opened could be   
heard. Finally, the door opened, and a blond man with long hair and glasses wearing a black cloak   
with a button saying, "I Believe," on the right breast appeared.   
  
"Hi, Lina," the man said with a short wave. "If that is indeed your REAL name…" His   
eyes narrowed.  
  
Lina smiled and raised a finger. "FIRE…"  
  
"I BELIEVE YOU! I BELIEVE YOU!!" the man screamed, cringing and holding his hands   
in front of his face.   
  
"Good, now let us in." She started past the man and into the house. "By the way, this is   
Sylphiel. She's clean."  
  
"Um…How do you do?" Sylphiel asked.  
  
"Hi," Langley said, clearing his throat in embarrassment. "Okay, Lina, right this way."  
  
  
  
The man awoke to find himself tied to a chair in the center of what appeared to be a large   
janitor's closet. Mops, brooms, and cleaning chemicals sat along the walls. What light there was   
in the room came from a lighting spell coming from the chimera's hand.  
  
As for the others…  
  
The tiny brunette eyed him suspiciously, her arms folded across her chest. "All right," she   
said. "Start talking."  
  
"Talking about what?" the man asked in a panicky voice.  
  
"You know what we're talking about!" the tall blonde man suddenly threw in. "Now if   
you don't want to end up hurt, you'd better…"  
  
"Mister Gourry!" the girl cried. "I'M supposed to be the bad cop!"  
  
The blond man blinked. "So what am I?"  
  
"What do you mean, 'what am I?!'" she asked. "If I'm the bad cop, then that means   
YOU'RE the good cop!"  
  
"Yareyare…" came a sigh from the chimera.  
  
"Oh," Gourry said, nodding in understanding. He turned back to the man. "I'm sorry.   
Would you like some tea?"  
  
"Well it doesn't do any good if he KNOWS you're the good cop, Mister Gourry!" Amelia   
chastised.  
  
"You people are nuts!" the man cried.  
  
"You have no idea," Zelgadis assured him from his side of the closet.  
  
"Maybe Zelgadis should be the good cop then," Gourry suggested.  
  
"You just said Mister Zelgadis' name!" Amelia cried.  
  
"Well you said mine!" Gourry shouted back.  
  
Amelia covered her mouth with her hands as she realized he was right. She looked over at   
the man.  
  
"Oh, dear Cepheid," the man prayed.  
  
  
  
"Sylphiel, this is Byers," Lina said, introducing the shrine maiden to a young man with a   
beard and moustache standing nearby. "And this is Frohicky," she continued, pointing to a short,   
older, balding man sitting at a small table, staring into a crystal ball.. Both men were dressed   
similarly to Langley, though they seemed to take more care with their appearance. "Guys, this is   
Sylphiel."  
  
"Hello."  
  
"Hey."  
  
"How do you do?" Sylphiel greeted them with a short bow. "So…um…You're wizards?"  
  
Langley snorted. "No. We're \/\/12@rds."  
  
Sylphiel blinked. "Isn't that what I just said?"  
  
"No," Byers told her, getting out a small notepad. "You have to spell it like…"  
  
"Shut up," Lina told them, her hands going to her red hair and pulling. It was amazing.   
They had just broken their own record for pissing her off. "You guys must know why we're here,   
right?"  
  
"Actually…" Frohicky said with an arched eyebrow. "No."  
  
Lina rubbed her temples. "You know the princess of Seyruun who's getting married is a   
fake, right?" The three of them blinked at her. "Do you guys actually CHASE conspiracies,   
anymore?" the redhead asked bitterly.  
  
Langley snorted again. "She's not a fake."  
  
"And yes, we do!" Frohicky spoke up defensively.  
  
"Don't worry, Lina," Byers said calmly. "We had similar suspicions when she first   
returned from traveling. Especially with a fiancé in tow."  
  
"So we checked her out," Frohicky threw in.   
  
Lina just blinked in shock. "How?"  
  
"We snuck into the palace and took a sample of her hair. We checked the astral pattern   
against one of Prince Philoniel's."  
  
"Why Prince Philoniel's?" Sylphiel asked absently.  
  
"When a child is conceived, there's more than a blending of physical attributes," Byers   
told them. "Astral patterns mix as well. By comparing the hair to Prince Philoniel's astral pattern,   
we could deduce that she is indeed his daughter."  
  
"Yeah," Langley said bitterly. "Spent a few days in jail and ended up getting strip   
searched for nothing."  
  
Lina was shaking her head. "No, no way. You guys got it wrong."  
  
"We still have the hair. You can check yourself, if you like," Frohicky offered her.  
  
"There is no way that you could be right!" Lina cried. "Amelia hasn't left my sight for   
more than two years now!"  
  
The Lone Swordsmen looked confused. Finally, Langley spoke up.  
  
"Who said anything about Princess Amelia?"  
  
  
  
"Um…Luckily we're using our CODENAMES!" Amelia said lamely.   
  
"Yeah!" Gourry said, catching on. "I'm Zelgadis!"  
  
"No you're not!" Amelia cried, turning to him. "You're Gourry. Remember?"  
  
Gourry snorted. "Gourry's my REAL name! Duh!"  
  
Amelia smacked herself in the forehead and took a deep breath. Zelgadis just shook his   
head. "Okay!" she cried. "Just tell us what's going on here! Who are you?"  
  
The man looked at them fearfully. "My name's Huey Einberg."  
  
"AND YOU'VE DECIDED TO TRY TO STEAL MY FATHER'S KINGDOM   
THROUGH DUPLICITY, HAVEN'T YOU?!" Amelia demanded, putting her finger right in his   
face.   
  
"What the hell are you talking about?!" Huey cried. "Who ARE you people!?"  
  
"Well, I'm….ZELGADIS," Gourry said, winking at Amelia.  
  
The princess grit her teeth and muttered, "How does Miss Lina do this?" Finally she   
pointed at the man again. "I'LL TELL YOU WHO I AM!! I AM AMELIA WIL TESLA   
SEYRUUN! PRINCESS OF SEYRUUN! THE ONE AND ONLY AMELIA, CHAMPION OF   
JUSTICE! AND I HAVE RETURNED TO SAVE MY KINGDOM FROM THE CLUTCHES OF   
THE EVIL DOER POSING AS ME!!!"  
  
Huey blinked. "So you're Amelia? Gracia's told me a lot about you."  
  
Amelia hit the ground. A second later, she was back on her feet, white as a sheet.   
"GRACIA?!"  
  
Huey nodded. "Yeah. I'm her fiancé. We were all hoping you'd come back. We've had   
messengers looking everywhere for you!"  
  
Gourry blinked, his finger going to his lip in thought. "Hey, that's right! You said once that   
you have an older sister….So…..wouldn't that make HER a princess too?"  
  
Zelgadis was busy bashing his head against a wall. Amelia just looked confused.   
"But…Gracia Oneechan hasn't been seen in years!"  
  
"Well," Huey went on, "When we met again and decided to get married, she decided she   
wanted to see her family again, so we came back to Seyruun."  
  
"You mean…" Amelia whispered. "Gracia Oneechan is…alive?"  
  
Huey nodded.  
  
Without another word, Amelia ran from the closet.   
  
"Oi! Amelia!" Gourry cried, running after her. Not wanting to be left behind, Zelgadis   
shrugged and followed.  
  
"Um…Excuse me?!" Huey, still tied to the chair, called out to them as the closet door   
closed. "Could…Could you please untie me first?"   
  
Nothing.  
  
"Hello?!"  
  
  
  
Amelia huffed and puffed as she ran down the palace hallway. Behind her she could hear   
the sounds of booted feet chasing after her.   
  
"Amelia! Wait up!"   
  
She didn't listen. Her sister was home. That was all she cared about. Gracia Oneechan   
was HOME!  
  
"Oi! Amelia!" Zelgadis called out behind her. She continued to run.  
  
For YEARS she dreamed of her sister returning home! Her big sister Gracia! True   
champion of Justice! A beautiful, true, honest heroine forever in tune with the justice of the   
universe! A woman devoted to helping others!   
  
She turned a corner and continued running.  
  
Gracia Oneechan! The sister who was taken from Amelia too soon! She was home!  
  
She made one last turn and entered the throne room. Prince Phil saw her enter and smiled.   
"Amelia!"  
  
"Papa! Is it tr…" Before she could finish, she saw her. "Gracia Oneechan?" she   
whispered.  
  
Gracia turned from the window and smiled at her little sister. "Amelia!"  
  
Amelia ran forward and threw herself into her sister's arms. The two princesses hugged   
fiercely, tears in their eyes.  
  
By now, Gourry and Zelgadis had caught up. The blond man was panting as he entered the   
throne room, but Zelgadis was barely breathing hard thanks to his chimera body. This, however,   
didn't stop him from gasping in shock when he saw Gracia and Amelia.  
  
Amelia released her sister and turned to the others. "Guys! This is my older sister,   
Gra…"  
  
Zelgadis cut her off as he stared at the elder princess. Instead of finishing the name Amelia   
had begun, he said another.  
  
"Naga?"  
  
  
  
  
Snarling sounds accompanied those of meat being torn from bone. Crunching noises made   
it apparent that some ravenous beast was feasting here.  
  
Sitting across from this ravenous beast at the table in the small Seyruun diner, Sylphiel   
watched Lina eat. "Miss Lina? Shouldn't we have returned to the hotel to tell Miss Amelia that   
everything is okay?"  
  
Busy glugging down a bowl of soup, Lina couldn't respond for a second. Finally, putting   
the bowl down and wiping her mouth, she shook her head. "Good news can always wait awhile.   
Besides, I was hungry."  
  
"Oh," was all Sylphiel could say. "You know…Miss Amelia said once that her sister   
might be Miss Naga…"  
  
Lina laughed, the soup she had been consuming coming up through her nose. "No way!"   
she cried between laughs. "I've seen the way Phil raises his kids! There is no way in Hell that   
Naga and Amelia's sister are the same person! I'll bet money on it!"  
  
"Oh," Sylphiel said again, going back to being quiet.  
  
Lina eyed the shrine maiden while she chewed on a chicken leg. Finally, she spoke up.   
"Okay, what is it?"  
  
"What is what?" Sylphiel asked, her eyes cast on the table.  
  
"You've been mopey ever since we left Ritsuko's," the redhead pointed out. "She told you   
something. What is it?"  
  
Sylphiel looked down at the table again. "I think your Healer friend might be a quack,   
Miss Lina," she said quietly.  
  
Lina blinked. "Ritsuko? No way. I trust her abilities as far as I trust mine. Whatever she   
told you, it's true." Her face fell. What if Ritsuko had told her something bad? If so, had she just   
sheared away what was left of Sylphiel's hope? "Why? What did she say?"  
  
"It's just that…She HAS to be wrong!" Sylphiel cried suddenly. "I mean…I still have my   
powers! If she were right, I wouldn't still have my magic!"  
  
Lina blinked, still puzzled. "What? Is it your time of the month or something?"  
  
"I'm only a week late," Sylphiel went on. "It's just a coincidence. I wouldn't have my   
magic if Miss Ritsuko was right!"  
  
Lina's eyes went wide as it all fell into place. She looked across the table at the shrine   
maiden, who was still casting her eyes downward.  
  
"Sylphiel…" she whispered, "Are you pregnant?"  
  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
The Lone Swordsmen are from another fic by that name based on Chris Carter's, "The Lone   
Gunmen."   



	19. Recuperation! The Fire of Xellos Rekind...

Slayers is the property of Kadokawa Shoten  
  
  
GREYSWORD: My hunt for the Mazoku that took my brother has lead me a lot of places. Scarrin   
has promised his help, but I am wary. Now, I find I must depend on yet another stranger…If she'll   
agree to help…  
  
  
  
Faces: After!  
Part 19  
Recuperation!  
The Fire of Xellos Rekindled!  
  
  
  
Filia flew faster and faster as another twenty dragons flying next to her rammed straight   
into the bolts of dark energy and disappeared in red clouds of blood. Blue streams of laser breath   
flew from the mouths of the remaining dragons, nearly five hundred in number. The blue bolts all   
fell on one spot below and before them. Filia added her own fire to the flame. Energy crackled as   
the beams hit their mark, throwing up a cloud of stone debris.  
  
For a few moments, it seemed that they had won.  
  
Then, a straight, black line shot from the debris cloud and swung towards them. Filia cried   
out in fear as another hundred golden dragons fell, cut down by the beam.   
  
This wasn't war anymore!  
  
This wasn't a battle!  
  
It was a slaughter!  
  
It was MURDER!  
  
For a moment, she lost herself in a cloud of burning blood. When the red smoke finally   
cleared…  
  
She was alone.  
  
All alone in the blue sky.  
  
She looked down and saw other dragons still falling to the ground thousands of feet below.   
  
All alone.  
  
The debris cloud surrounding the target was dispersing now.  
  
"Am I a bad person…"  
  
She gasped and looked down as the final bits of smoke were blown away by the wind. A   
lone figure stood there, staff in hand, purple hair wafting in the breeze.  
  
Xellos looked up at her and finished his question. "Am I a bad person…Filia chan?"  
  
  
  
Her eyes snapped open. Another dream. She had been having many such dreams over the   
past week. Dreams about Xellos.   
  
Stretching, she yawned and turned in her chair towards Xellos' bed.  
  
Only to find him gone.  
  
She blinked and stood up. For an entire week, he hadn't moved more than an inch, or said   
more than a few words. Now he was GONE?!   
  
Could he really have been faking all this time and actually had the power to dematerialize   
whenever he wanted?!  
  
That's when she noticed it.  
  
The door was open.  
  
She stepped out into the hallway and heard something. Someone was panting. Turning   
towards the sound, she saw him leaning against the wall and using it as a crutch as he tried to walk   
down the hall and towards the stairs.  
  
"Xellos!" The dragon rushed forward and took his arm. "What are you doing?!" she   
cried. "You should be in bed!"  
  
He surprised her by roughly pulling his arm from her hand. She blinked in shock. Only a   
few days ago he was clutching at her hand and moaning her name in his sleep.  
  
"I…Don't need….Your help!" he gasped out tiredly, taking another step. "I'm…not   
some…invalid….For you to…pity!" He took another step.  
  
"Don't be stupid!" Filia growled at him. "You're not doing yourself any good by   
staggering down the hall like a whino!"  
  
"I am…a Mazoku!" Xellos gasped out, taking another painful step as he leaned against the   
wall. "The world…is…mine to…destroy…Its people…" He closed his eyes in pain and took a   
breath. "…mine…to torment…I am…I am…" He gave up and collapsed on the hard wood floor.  
  
"Xellos!" Filia cried, kneeling next to him.  
  
"Nothing," he finished in a choked whisper. "Nothing at all…"  
  
"Oh, knock it off," Filia grumbled, taking him by the arm and helping him to his feet. She   
placed his arm around her shoulder and supported his weight as she started to lead him back   
towards his room. "Now this time stay in bed!" she ordered.  
  
They entered the bedroom, and the dragon unceremoniously deposited Xellos on his bed.   
Pulling the blanket up around this neck, she tucked him in like she would a child. The Mazoku   
continued to stare up at the ceiling.   
  
She stood up and took a step back, looking down at him sympathetically. "Xellos….I   
know it must be hard…I'm alone too, remember? But…you can't just…give up."  
  
He didn't answer.  
  
"Xellos," she tried again, biting her lip in thought. "There's still hope. Maybe Metallium   
will take you back…"  
  
Nothing.  
  
"Well…Surely there's SOMETHING you can do…Right?"  
  
Silence.  
  
Filia growled and walked back to him, grabbing him by the front of his cloak and pulling   
him to a sitting position. "Don't just lie there and ignore ME, Namagomi!" she shouted. She   
shook him a bit, growling. Her tail popped out from under her dress and flicked from side to side   
angrily.  
  
She slapped him.  
  
Nothing.  
  
Growling, she threw him back into the bed and turned away from him. "How could I   
EVER have respected you even for a second?" she growled. She faced the door, put her arms   
over her chest, and huffed. An idea came to her, and she smiled. "But then again," she said, "I   
guess that's what I should've expected from a MAZOKU. It gets a little hard, and they fold like   
cards."  
  
She could hear a slight bit of movement from the bed.  
  
"Yes," she continued. "Once again, I've proven how superior we Ryuuzoku are. After all,   
when I left my clan, I didn't just turn myself off and cry and moan about it. I showed the Elder   
what I was capable of on my own. I guess Mazoku are just too cowardly to even attempt acting   
without permission from their overlords!"  
  
A little more movement. Maybe she was getting to him.  
  
"Mazoku sure are tough when they have their dark lords looking over their shoulder. But   
when the chips are down and they have to make a CHOICE on their own, they're nothing more than   
children crying for their mo…" She broke off as she felt cold breath on the back of her neck. She   
turned and found him standing only an inch from her, a scowl on his face. She hadn't expected him   
to actually pull himself from bed.  
  
"All right," he whispered out painfully. "If you're such a…damn expert…Teach me…"  
  
"T…Teach you?" she asked.  
  
"You have all the answers," he gasped out. "Tell me…Tell me how I do it…"  
  
She smirked. "That…is a secret."  
  
He actually chuckled. Looking at her, he shook his head. "You really don't know," he told   
her. "You just think you do."  
  
"I know you're being a baby about all this!" she cried. He was turning away from her.   
"Fine! You want me to prove it!? You'll have my help! Is that what you want to hear?!"  
  
"No," he whispered. "This isn't an…arrangement…It's a bet."  
  
"A…bet?"  
  
He turned back to her and nodded. "If you really know how I'm supposed to exist as a   
nothing and teach it to me, you win."  
  
"And if I don't?" She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. Here it was. The part   
where he tells her if she doesn't, she has to sleep with him. Even as an invalid he was playing the   
game.  
  
"If you can't," he said with effort, "Then you kill me."  
  
  
  
General Priest Jinnar placed his teacup down and smiled unctuously at his lunch   
companion. "Now isn't this nice?!" he asked, his arms spread wide. "I had no idea that senior   
officers got such nice lunch accommodations!"  
  
Sitting on the table across from him, Callisto licked the blood from his lunch off his paw.   
"Yes," he agreed without enthusiasm. "A pointless exercise since we don't require physical   
food…"  
  
"Oh, I don't believe so!" Jinnar objected. "After all, it allows us a chance to speak   
outside of an…official…venue."  
  
"Yes, I'm sure it does," Callisto said, wishing he were somewhere else.  
  
Jinnar smiled. "You know," he began, "I do wonder whatever became of old Xellos."  
  
Callisto looked up from his paw, and his eyes narrowed. "And what concern of it is   
yours?" the cat asked. "You're the new General Priest."  
  
"Oh, it's just out of curiosity," Jinnar told him with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I   
guess I'm just feeling nostalgic!"  
  
"Why?" Callisto asked with an arched eyebrow. "As I recall, he passed you over as a   
potential student."  
  
The General Priest's eye twitched. "Yes…" he said darkly.  
  
"Then he recommended to your instructor that you be given remedial instruction in the art   
of subtlety."  
  
The vein in Jinnar's head began pulsing.  
  
"And then he DID see to it that you and he would NEVER be placed on the same   
assignment because the thought of working with such an unpredictable, rank amateur Mazoku such   
as yourself, galled him to the extent that…"  
  
"I GET IT!!" Jinnar exploded, jumping to his feet.  
  
The cat didn't bat an eye. "So why should YOU of all Mazoku feel nostalgic?"  
  
Jinnar smiled. "I heard he died. I just want to hear it from someone else."  
  
Callisto looked him in the eye, glaring for several seconds. "He's dead."  
  
"There! See?!" the new General Priest cried, his arms wide. "That's all I wanted to   
know!"  
  
"So now you know," Callisto said with just a touch of ice. "Now if you'll excuse me…"   
The cat nimbly hopped down off the table. "Her Majesty asked me to prepare the situation reports   
for the Xoana operations."  
  
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Jinnar asked smugly.  
  
Callisto stopped and sighed. Turning, he dipped his head to Jinnar. "By your leave, Lord   
General." Without waiting for a reply, he turned and disappeared.  
  
Jinnar's smile widened into a grin. "BWAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" He stifled his laugh   
and turned. "IFFY!………..IFFY!!!"  
  
In a flash of dark light, the female Mazoku appeared before him. She was holding a street   
map of Seyruun….upside down…and trying desperately to make sense of it. The staff Jinnar had   
given her as a badge of her fealty was held precariously in the crook of her arm.  
  
"Now….I know I passed Ninth Street," she said to herself, too involved in the map to   
realize she was in Jinnar's presence. "And I KNOW I haven't gone past Seventh Street yet….So   
that leaves me on…..EIGHTH STREET!!!" She looked up from the map and at her surroundings.   
Her face fell. "But this isn't Eighth Street either!"  
  
"IFFY!"  
  
"HUH?!" She turned and blinked. "Lord God General Priest Jinnar, Sir!" she cried. She   
blinked in puzzlement. "What are you doing in Seyruun?"  
  
Jinnar rubbed his temples. "Iffy…Try to stay with me on this…You're not in Seyruun right   
now. You're back here."  
  
She blinked. "Sure!"  
  
Jinnar growled, but a second later, smiled. "I just confirmed that our dear Lord Xellos is   
alive and well."  
  
"You did?"  
  
Jinnar nodded. "Callisto told me. As a Mazoku who's made himself an expert on lying, I   
can recognize one instantly. Xellos is alive. I want him….not so."  
  
"Not so what?"  
  
Jinnar tried to contain his absolute rage. "I want….Xellos….XELLOS…." Iffy nodded in   
understanding and bade him to continue. "X-E-L-L-O-S…" Jinnar continued. "Dead. Deceased.   
Gone." He took Iffy by the shoulders. "Do you understand?"  
  
"Oh, yeah! Sure!"   
  
"Good. Then you can handle it."  
  
She blinked again. "But…What about that whole Seyruun thing?"  
  
"You can't do both?! What kind of assistant are you?!"  
  
Iffy sighed in resignation. "Yes, Lord God General Priest Jinnar Sir…"  
  
"Good! Now get going!"  
  
With that, Jinnar disappeared.   
  
Iffy sighed again. "Such is the life of a Lord God General Priest's Assistant, Second   
Class, Limited…"   
  
  
  
"Lina chan? What are you doing?" Naga asked as she leaned over her sidekick's shoulder   
to see what the petite redhead was so enthralled in. Sitting on the table in front of her was a six   
foot long oak staff, a red crystal about the size of her fist with a sizable crack in it, a bunch of   
other, smaller crystals, and a hammer.  
  
The redhead picked up the hammer and crushed one of the smaller crystals into powder   
with it before turning to her boss and smiling. "I'm making Mister Xellos a new staff."  
  
Naga blinked. "Oh?"  
  
Shadow Lina smiled and nodded. "I figured that since his old one broke, he would need a   
new one. So I found a branch from that tree Miss Dragon Lady decapitated and asked Lord Jeffrey   
to shave it for me. Then I found this old, broken crystal at the magic shop down the street. Now   
I'm preparing these other crystals to be fused with it."  
  
The White Serpent nodded along with each step.   
  
"I want it to be a surprised," the redhead continued. "So don't tell him, okay?"  
  
Naga smiled. "Of course I won't. But you know, Lina chan, this staff won't be anything   
like his old one. Don't be offended if he doesn't want it."  
  
"Oh! I'm not worried about that!" Shadow Lina said confidently. "I'm packing this staff   
with some of the most powerful magical crystals I have as well as any other strong magical things I   
can get my hands on! By the time it's done, it'll be twice as powerful as his old staff!"  
  
Visions of Xellos floating above whatever city Lina Inverse happened to be staying in and   
using his staff to shoot giant fireballs down into it danced in Naga's brain.   
"OOOOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!"  
  
Shadow Lina blinked at the laughter. "Um…Did I say something funny, Miss Naga?"  
  
"Not at all, Lina chan!" Naga cried. "As a matter of fact, let me help you make that staff   
just as strong as it can be!"  
  
The shadow's eyes lit up. "You want to contribute something, Miss Naga?! That's   
wonderful!"  
  
Naga nodded and removed the Claire Bible manuscript from her satchel. Opening it, she   
tore out the first page and handed it to the redhead. "A page from a Claire Bible fused with the   
crystal would surely help."  
  
"Thank you, Miss Naga!" Shadow Lina cried. She took the page and turned back to her   
work.  
  
The sorceress smiled. "OOOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!   
OOOOOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!"  
  
  
  
"HAAAAAHAHAHAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAA!!!!   
HAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA!!!" Jinnar laughed. "Excellent work, my cronies!" The two   
cronies in question, low-level Mazoku scouts, arched an eyebrow at being referred to as,   
"cronies." Bowing quickly, they left the room as fast as they could. Jinnar cleared his throat and   
called out. "IFFY!! IFFY!!"  
  
Once again, the female Mazoku appeared, map still in hand, still upside down. "So all I   
have to do is walk straight up this street and I'll be there!" she exclaimed happily. Looking up,   
her face fell. "Hey! Wait a minute! There's supposed to be a street here!"  
  
"IFFY!"  
  
The younger Mazoku cringed and turned. "Oh! Lord God General Priest Jinnar, Sir!" She   
snapped to attention and saluted smartly, trying to keep a hold of both her staff and her map.  
  
"My scouts have just located Xellos," Jinnar said smugly. "He's in Saldellia."  
  
"I guess he's on vacation!" Iffy commented. She laughed nervously.  
  
Jinnar's eyes narrowed.  
  
Iffy stopped smiling. "Sorry…"  
  
"Enough jokes! Just go to Saldellia and destroy Xellos!"  
  
"Um…Lord God General Priest, Sir, Jinnar, Sir?" Iffy began nervously. "I was just   
thinking about something…"  
  
"I'm breathless in shock," Jinnar noted dryly.  
  
"Yeah, anyway, I was just thinking…Does Her Majesty know we're…you know…hunting   
Lord Xellos down like a dog and gutting him like a pig? Because I think she might be a little mad   
if we did that without her permission and…"  
  
"SILENCE! IDIOT! DON'T YOU THINK I'VE ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR   
THAT?!"  
  
"I'm sorry!" Iffy cringed.  
  
"Hmmm…" Jinnar commented, rubbing his chin in thought. "On the other hand, as unlikely   
as it is, you could be right. You'll have to just kill Xellos without Her Majesty finding out!"  
  
"But how am I supposed to do that?!" Iffy cried in panic, clutching her staff as if it could   
protect her from Jinnar's order.   
  
"IDIOT! HE'S VULNERABLE NOW!" Jinnar took a breath and laughed.   
"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Oh, I just had the most delicious idea!"  
  
"Are we having lunch, Sir?!" Iffy asked, visibly brightening.  
  
"NO, WE ARE NOT HAVING LUNCH!" he screamed in reply.  
  
"Sorry…"  
  
"If the scouts are correct, then that means that Xellos is so weak, so vulnerable, that even   
humans could destroy him!" He laughed again. "Imagine! Humans! Destroying the great Xellos!   
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"  
  
"Yeah, that would be pretty cool, Sir!" Iffy agreed, nodding.  
  
"SO MAKE IT HAPPEN!" Jinnar ordered.  
  
Iffly flinched away. Recovering, she saluted smartly. "Roger dodger, over and out, Sir!"   
With that, she floated about a foot off the ground and flew down the corridor towards the exit.  
  
As she flew, she sighed. "This new job sucks," she complained. "How am I supposed to   
get a human to kill Lord Xellos?"  
  
Sighing again, she disappeared.  
  
  
  
"You could…be an advisor!" Filia tried as she poured another cup of tea.  
  
"Advise who?" Xellos asked, taking a sip from his own cup as he sat up in bed.   
  
"Well, think about it," Filia urged him. "The Mazoku are a very real threat to the world.   
You could advise kings and nations on ways to undermine them."  
  
Xellos' eyes narrowed. "You mean turn traitor," he whispered.  
  
The dragon held up a hand. "Who betrayed who first?" she asked. "You don't owe them   
anything!"  
  
"I owe Her Majesty everything," he said darkly. "She gave me life."  
  
Filia sighed and took a sip of tea. So far, this wasn't going well. Thinking back on it, she   
had been lucky. She had given up the Fire Dragon Temple, the only life she had ever known, but   
right afterward, she had taken on the task of raising little Val. She had gone from serving one   
higher purpose to the next in only a few day's time. She hadn't had to endure the feeling of being   
lost. That's what Xellos was feeling now. He felt he had no purpose in life. Filia had spent the   
last several hours convincing him that there were other purposes out there for him.  
  
"Well there has to be SOMETHING!" she cried impatiently. "I mean, what's keeping you   
here at all!?"  
  
Xellos looked over at her, his face serious. "You are."  
  
She blinked at him. "I am?"  
  
"You still don't understand, do you?" he asked quietly.   
  
Filia looked at him and swallowed back realization. "Xellos…why EXACTLY were you   
expelled?"  
  
He smiled. "That is…"  
  
"The truth," she whispered, begging. "Just this once."  
  
The Mazoku regarded her for a moment, then looked out the window, placing his teacup on   
the saucer it came on. "Violation of the Ruby Eye's first law," he told her. "Disobeying a direct   
order from my overlord."  
  
She took a breath. "And that order was…"  
  
"Nothing you need to concern yourself with," he told her dully.  
  
"That night in my room," she concluded quietly. "That wasn't your idea, was it?"  
  
"Filia chan," he began.   
  
"She ordered you to rape me, didn't she?!" Filia was livid. She blinked in shock. "And   
when you didn't…she threw you out."  
  
Xellos said nothing.  
  
"You…disobeyed Metallium…for me?" Filia asked quietly.  
  
The Mazoku snorted. "Hardly." Filia's eyebrow twitched as a result. "You have to   
understand how things work for a Mazoku, Filia chan," he continued. "To be perfectly honest, I   
didn't realize I was disobeying her until she told me point blank that I had."  
  
"Wait," she said. "I don't get this."  
  
He sighed and continued to look out the window. "A Mazoku can no more disobey their   
overlord than sing one of Miss Amelia's justice ballads. It's…alien…to us. A Mazoku CANNOT   
disobey their overlord. But…" he went on with an upraised finger. "HOW we carry out the   
orders issued to us is somewhat open to…interpretation."  
  
Filia only blinked again.  
  
"I fully intended to take you by force, Filia chan," Xellos admitted. "I just…couldn't   
bring myself to do it THEN." He chuckled to himself. "I guess after so many years of   
'interpreting' my orders however I pleased…Her Majesty got tired of it."  
  
"I…I see."  
  
"It's just as well," he whispered. "It wasn't an order I was in any particular hurry to carry   
out." He rolled over onto his side, facing away from Filia. "I'm going to sleep now," he said   
simply.  
  
Filia stood up and walked silently out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.   
Looking up, she saw Amara standing nearby.  
  
"He's sleeping," Filia said simply and started for the stairs. Amara fell into step beside   
her. "I don't know what to do with him," Filia confessed. "He doesn't want to keep going, yet he   
does anyway. It's like he's looking for a reason to die more than he's looking for one to live."  
  
"It's not a reason he's looking for, Filia," Amara told her. "It's your permission."  
  
Filia turned to the other blonde and blinked. "What do you mean?"  
  
Amara tried to find a way to word it. "I meant what I said about the female's life   
superceding the male's," she explained. "I…told him that you didn't want him to die." She looked   
sheepish. "So…now he can't unless you tell him it's okay…You're his mate, so you DO have   
some power over him, Filia."  
  
"Gee, thanks," the dragon growled.  
  
"Filia! This is serious!" the older Ryuuzoku cried. "Right now he's at his most   
vulnerable! He's LOOKING for an excuse to die! You can't give him one!"  
  
"Alright! Alright!" Filia cried. "I get it."  
  
"Good!" Amara told her. She started down the steps again. "Because as his mate it's   
YOUR responsibility!"  
  
Filia growled and started down the steps after her. "I am NOT his mate!" she cried   
angrily.  
  
  
  
"Finished!" Shadow Lina announced, holding the staff aloft.   
  
Standing nearby, Jeffrey and Naga applauded. The staff in the redhead's hand was taller   
than she was. The ruby she had repaired with her magic and infused with several other crystals   
along with Naga's Claire Bible page sat on top of the staff, sparkling in the light. The wood was   
polished smooth and varnished, making it look a little older than it actually was.   
  
"I'm going to go give it to him now, okay?" she asked excitedly, rushing towards the steps.   
Before she could make it there, however, she ran into Filia and Amara. "Excuse me, Miss Dragon   
Ladies!" she cried. "I'm going to give Mister Xellos his new staff!"  
  
"He's sleeping right now, Miss Lina," Amara told her with a slight smile. "Why don't you   
wait until later, okay?"  
  
"Oh…Okay." Dejected, the petite sorceress started back for her table.  
  
Naga was waving a waiter over for a lunch menu when she noticed someone enter the inn.   
She looked vaguely familiar, but couldn't put her finger on why. The White Serpent probably   
would have just shrugged it off if the woman had not made a beeline straight towards her and   
stopped at their table.  
  
The brown-haired woman stood next to Naga's chair, looking over the sorceress with her   
sapphire eyes. Naga made it a point to ignore her. Finally, the woman spoke.  
  
"I've heard that you're a sorceress for hire," Greysword told the White Serpent.   
"Mercenaries."  
  
"We have been known to do charity work," Naga informed her haughtily. She looked up   
and grinned at the swordswoman. "Care to make a donation?"  
  
Greysword sat down at the table across from her and got down to business.  
  
  
  
Shadow Lina sighed. Miss Naga was wheeling and dealing, and Lord Jeffrey was out   
shopping for a new set of armor. The dragons were having tea over in the corner, and in a word,   
she was bored. The staff she had made for Mister Xellos was sitting on the table in front of her,   
looking at her like an unopened birthday gift.   
  
Beckoning to her.  
  
("Give me to Mister Xellos,") it seemed to say in her mind. ("I'll cheer him up right quick,   
Miss Lina! Just give me a chance, and that poor old Mister Xellos will being doing cartwheels in   
no time!")  
  
The shadow looked from side to side, then whispered. "But he's sleeping," she told the   
staff.  
  
("Aw, shucks, Miss Lina!") the staff continued. ("If he knew he had a brand spanking new   
staff waiting for him, he wouldn't be sleeping! No, Ma'am! Uh uh! No way!")  
  
Shadow Lina thought about this for several seconds. What was more important?   
Happiness or sleep?  
  
("HAPPINESS! HAPPINESS! HAPPINESS!") the staff yelled to her.  
  
The shadow looked from side to side again. Finally, she picked up the staff and started for   
the stairs.  
  
  
  
"Sounds ambitious," Naga commented. "Breaking into Seyruun is a difficult task, even for   
someone such as myself, who happens to know the palace." She looked up at Greysword. "No."  
  
The swordswoman's eyes narrowed. A second later, they softened again, and she sighed.   
"Miss Naga…You don't understand how important this is to me."  
  
"And you don't understand one thing about me," Naga told her. "I don't go to   
Seyruun…EVER." She stood up. "I'm sorry that you've wasted your time." She turned to go, but   
a hand snagged her wrist. Turning, she found Greysword had stood up and grabbed her.  
  
"Miss Naga," the woman began. "I understand if you're reluctant given the odds…"  
  
Naga grinned. "The odds? Never tell me the odds, child. I have my own reasons."  
  
"But," Greysword continued, "This…means a lot to me." For a flash of a few seconds,   
pain crossed the woman's face only to replaced right afterwards with a hard mask again.  
  
Naga was silent for a moment. "Let's go for a walk."  
  
  
  
Xellos' eyes were closed, but he wasn't sleeping. Nothings didn't sleep. They existed as   
nothings.   
  
How the mighty had fallen. A week ago the mere whisper of his name would have sent   
dragons, humans, elves, and even other Mazoku fleeing in terror. The rumor of his approach   
caused entire cities to evacuate and seek shelter. It had gotten to the point where he had to stop   
introducing himself as a Mazoku just so he could get some work done.  
  
Now he'd never have that problem again.  
  
Nothings weren't feared.  
  
They were laughed at.   
  
Despised.  
  
Nothing could respect a nothing.  
  
Especially not dragons.  
  
He sighed and continued to pretend he was sleeping. That's when he felt it. There was   
someone next to his bed. He rolled over and looked up.  
  
Lina Inverse stood there. The only woman to ever earn the respect of the Overlords of   
Shabranigdo. She who called down the power of the Lord of Nightmares on a whim. She never   
knew just how much respect she had among the Mazoku, and Xellos had been sure to never   
mention it lest she get ideas. Somehow, though, he always thought she knew.  
  
Was he dreaming?  
  
Did nothings dream?  
  
She held out a long, wooden staff and spoke. "Mister Xellos…"  
  
He recognized the shy voice of the shadow and blinked.   
  
"I…I made you a new staff," she told him. "I know it's probably not as good as your old   
one…but…well…I made it myself…and Jeffrey and Miss Naga helped…And…"  
  
She broke off as Xellos sat up in bed and regarded the staff closely. There was definitely   
an astral essence there. She hadn't just bought it off the street or broke a branch off a tree. He   
looked up at her. "Why?" he asked.  
  
"Well," the shadow said, blushing a little and turning away. "Remember when Miss   
Josephine was harassing me, and you taught me how to stand up to her?" Xellos nodded.   
"Well…if you hadn't done that, I might never had gotten to be with Lord Jeffrey." Xellos only   
blinked. "So…I guess…this is a way to say…thank you."  
  
The Mazoku continued to stare at the staff, not quite sure what to make of it.  
  
"You hate it, don't you?" Shadow Lina asked dejectedly. "I'm sorry. I'll go throw it in the   
fire or something." She turned to go.  
  
"Just a second, Lina chan," Xellos stopped her. She turned and blinked at the grin on his   
face. "It's customary to test drive before one makes a final decision…"  
  
  
  
Peering in through the window, Iffy suddenly eep'd and flew out of view. She floated   
there, out of sight of the former Mazoku general and his guest. Clutching her staff, she began to   
fret.  
  
"The DRAGON SPOOKER is with him?! This is worse than I thought!" She sighed and   
hung her head. "Lord God General Priest Jinnar is going to be SO angry… But what am I   
supposed to do? The Dragon Spooker defeated Lord Hellmaster Phibrizzo, and Lord Gaav, and   
Lord ValGaav, and the Great Ruby Eye…." She sighed. "It's hopeless…so hopeless…"  
  
She floated down to the ground and started walking, her steel staff dragging in the dirt   
behind her as she morosely marched away from her mission. It wasn't her fault. It was the   
DRAGON SPOOKER, for Ruby Eye's sake! But you could bet that Lord God General Priest   
Jinnar Sir wasn't going to be satisfied with that! Oh no! Lord God General Priest Jinnar Sir was   
going to throw a temper tantrum…then liquidate her.  
  
"This sucks," she sniffed. Without realizing it she walked into a tavern. Blinking at the   
noise and lack of light, she shrugged and made her way to the bar. "If I'm going to be liquidated, I   
might as well have something to eat before I go…" she commented morosely.  
  
"Hi there, little lady," the man behind the counter greeted her as she sat down. "What can I   
get you?"  
  
"Something bloody," Iffy sniffed. "Preferably killed today and in the most agonizing way   
possible."  
  
The barkeep blinked, looked around, then put a jar of pickled pig's feet on the bar. "That'll   
be a goldpiece each," she told her. Iffy paid and took one of the pig's feet, taking an unenthusiastic   
bite out of it and chewing dully. "Hey, little lady," the barkeep began, "What's wrong? You look   
like someone just killed your pet bunny."  
  
She snorted. "I wish," she replied. "Then maybe this day wouldn't suck so much."  
  
"Well, why don't you tell me about it?" he offered. "I have a good ear."  
  
Iffy sniffled. "Well…okay. I just found out that there's this wounded Mazoku living   
here…"  
  
The bartender's eyes went wide. "A Ma…Mazoku?" he asked fearfully.  
  
She nodded. "Yeah…One of the worst ones!" she said in admiration, admiration that the   
barkeep simply took as awe. "I mean, he used to blow up towns like this one all the time!" She   
sighed and rested her head on the bar. "I know I have to do something hard. I have to find a way   
to destroy him, but what can I do?" Other patrons were turning around and listening as she went on   
with her sob story. "It's just too hard!" she cried into the bar. "Even as vulnerable as he is right   
now, what can I do all alone?!"  
  
"Excuse me, young lady," a man in wizard's robes sitting nearby began. "Did you say   
there's a MAZOKU in town?" The rest of the crowded tavern was looking and listening on in   
frightened awe. This was big news!  
  
Iffy raised her head and nodded, wiping a tear away. "He's in the inn down the   
street…recuperating." She sniffled. "Soon he'll be back to full strength, and then NOTHING will   
be able to stop him! And then I'm…then I'm…" She sniffled and began crying in earnest.  
  
"You poor dear!" one of the barmaids cried, hugging the female Mazoku to her chest.   
"There there…I know you're scared…"  
  
"Hell! I'm scared too!" another barmaid called out. "A Mazoku in our town?!"  
  
"Well what are you gonna do about it, Sheriff?!" one of the wealthy vacationers asked of   
the local constable, who quite frankly had no idea what to do.  
  
"Well we have to do SOMETHING!" someone shouted. "We can't let some Mazoku just   
run around free! What happens when he's back to full strength!?"  
  
"He could destroy the entire town!" someone else agreed.  
  
"Then we have to put an end to him NOW!" the wizard who first asked Iffy about the   
Mazoku shouted. "Before he puts an end to US!"  
  
"YEAH!" the cry went up from the brave drunkards and whinos in the tavern. As orderly   
as an angry, drunken mob can be, they filed out of the tavern, leaving Iffy in the gentle hands of the   
barmaid, who asked if she would like some ice cream.  
  
"Y..Yes," Iffy sniffed.  
  
Of course, she still had no idea how she was going to get a human to kill Xellos…but ice   
cream was good too.  
  
  
  
"I was fourteen when it happened." Leaning up against a boulder in the onsen behind the   
inn, Naga listened as Greysword continued her story. "All I knew was that my brother left the   
house to go play in the woods and that he didn't come back for dinner. Or the next day. Or the next   
week, or the next year." The swordswoman's arms were folded over her chest as she spoke. "My   
mother and I were left to fend for ourselves. We didn't really know what had happened. Only that   
he had left us." She looked up at the sorceress, her face a mask of anger. "I hated him for that."  
  
Naga said nothing.  
  
"When I was older, I decided to find him. Beat the hell out of him for abandoning us like   
that. Mom didn't want me to go, but I wasn't about to stay in that rat hole town and rot with the rest   
of the trash. Mom might have liked it, but I hated it….I guess just as much as HE did. So I left. I   
wanted to find my brother, look him in the eye, and hear him tell me why. Make him give me his   
excuse face to face."  
  
"Sad story, but I've heard much worse," Naga told her.   
  
"The real story hasn't even begun," Greysword told her seriously. "During my search, I   
heard rumors, stories that included my brother's name. That's when I met Scarrin."  
  
Naga blinked. "Who?"  
  
"A mage. A man who had known my brother before…Before they killed him."  
  
"So…You want revenge," Naga said with a casual smile. "Hire a murderer. It's what they   
do…"  
  
"Would you just shut up and let me tell the story?" Greysword growled. Naga rolled her   
eyes and bade her to continue. "If you must know, I'm NOT after revenge. My brother was killed   
by a Mazoku." Naga arched an eyebrow at this. "No…not 'kill.' 'Kill' isn't the right word.   
He…took…my brother. Took his body as his own, corrupted it…" She looked up at Naga.   
"Right now there's a monster in Seyruun with my brother's face. And…" A flash of pain crossed   
her face again. "And I know he's in there…Trapped in his own mind…in agony."  
  
"How can you be sure…"  
  
Scarrin knew a man who helped the Mazoku do this. "Rezo…The Red Priest. He used my   
brother's body as a vessel for this Mazoku." She looked away. "I don't want revenge, Miss Naga,"   
she said quietly. "I want to finally put my brother to rest. After years of hating him without   
cause…I owe him that much."  
  
"So why is he in Seyruun?" Naga asked.   
  
"I have no idea," Greysword told her. "Mazoku shit. I don't know! But he's there, and I   
need your help to get to him." Naga put a finger to her lip in thought. "I'm not asking for much   
here," the swordswoman went on. "Just help me get inside, and I'll take care of the rest."  
  
Over the woman's shoulder, a mob was gathering at the inn's entrance…  
  
  
  
Filia opened the door to find Xellos being helped up and steadied by a concerned shadow.   
Xellos was leaning on the staff Shadow Lina had brought him, trying to maintain his balance on   
unsteady feet while the shadow bustled around trying to help.  
  
"What's this?" Filia asked, entering the room.  
  
"I was just giving Mister Xellos his new staff," Shadow Lina confessed.  
  
"You know he was sleeping," Filia told her, her hands going to her hips in irritation.  
  
"I wasn't really resting anyway, Filia chan," Xellos interjected. He looked at the staff in   
his hand. It didn't really feel right. It was…heavy.   
  
And the finishing wasn't quite right…  
  
And…  
  
And it really didn't matter. Nothings can't be choosers.  
  
"Do you like it?" Shadow Lina asked, her eyes shining.  
  
He didn't say anything. The shadow's face started to fall.  
  
"He loves it!" Filia announced. "Don't you, Xellos?" she asked him with a hint of acid.  
  
He was about to answer when there was a commotion from outside their room. The door   
was suddenly kicked in, and several men with torches and makeshift weapons crowded the   
doorway.  
  
"We're looking for the Mazoku!" the lead one, who looked like a wizard, shouted.  
  
Shadow Lina squealed as Xellos gave her a push forward. "That's her," he told the   
crowd. "She was killing bunnies this morning!"  
  
"Mister Xellos!" the shadow whined.   
  
Filia growled. "Namagomi…"  
  
"Give him over," the leader warned. "All we want is the Mazoku. The rest of you can   
live."  
  
Before Filia could come up with a retort, Xellos stepped forward and smiled. "My, my,   
my," he said. "All this for little old me?"  
  
"You're the Mazoku?"   
  
"Xellos!" Filia cried.  
  
"That's right," he said smugly. "You're lucky to catch me now. Another day or two and I   
would have been all set to destroy your entire town."  
  
"What the hell are you doing?!" Filia hissed at him.  
  
He turned his head to her. "Going out with a bang, Filia chan," he said quietly. He turned   
back to the crowd. "Well…Shall we?"  
  
The crowd surged forward. None of them had ever really seen a Mazoku before, and   
therefore none of them realized that if Xellos had wanted to, he could just as soon reduce them all   
to mulch. Instead, he allowed them to grab him.  
  
"Wait!" Filia shouted, pushing herself through the mob. "Let him go!"  
  
"Stay out of this, lady!" one of the men ordered her.  
  
"NO!" she screamed back at them in fury. "Is this how justice is done in Saldellia!? At   
the hands of an angry mob without warrant or trial?! Where's the REAL law?!"  
  
The mob was quiet for a second. Xellos arched an eyebrow. Filia folded her arms over   
her chest in triumph. Her success was short lived, however, as someone pushed through the mob   
towards them wearing a constable's uniform.  
  
"I'm here! Did I miss the burn'n?!" the constable asked.  
  
"GET HIM!" The crowd was moving again, dragging Xellos down the stairs and out the   
door.  
  
"Miss Dragon Lady! What do we do?!" Shadow Lina asked fearfully.  
  
"Go get Miss Naga and my sister," Filia ordered as she started down the stairs after the   
mob.   
  
  
  
"Will you help me?" Greysword asked Naga a final time.  
  
Naga smiled. "What was your brother's name?" she asked sympathetically.  
  
"Ze…"  
  
"MISS NAGA!" They both turned and found Shadow Lina, Jeffrey, and Amara running   
towards them.   
  
"Lina chan?!"  
  
"Some angry mob with pitchforks and torches took Mister Xellos!" Shadow Lina   
blubbered. "I don't think they like him very much!"  
  
Naga looked up and saw her Side-Kick of Questionable Worth being herded down the road   
in the hands of an angry, pitchfork wielding mob.  
  
"Well I'll be damned," she remarked to herself. "They really ARE carrying pitchforks…I   
thought they only did that in plays!"  
  
"We have to do something!" Jeffrey cried.  
  
Naga eyed Greysword. "Miss Greysword, child," she began, "I have decided that you will   
be permitted to join my band of heroes!"  
  
"Um…Excuse me?" Greysword asked.  
  
"We'll be traveling to Seyruun next," Naga continued with a wink. "However, if you're   
not interested, I'm sure there are other places we can go…"  
  
The swordswoman sighed. "What do you want me to do?"  
  
  
  
"Hmmm…How DID you get so much wood so fast?" Xellos asked politely as they tied   
him to a stake in the middle of the town square. He was also standing on top of several logs, wet   
with oil to make them burn faster and hotter.  
  
The man tying him down smiled. "We burn lots of folks 'round here!" he explained.  
  
Xellos nodded. He watched as another man dropped the staff Shadow Lina had given him   
on top of the pile near his feet. He nodded. "It's better this way," he whispered. After all, if he   
didn't come quietly or if he fought them, they might have chosen to turn this into a fight. Then Filia   
might have been hurt…  
  
"STOP THIS!"   
  
He looked up and found that Filia had pushed her way forward and was standing between   
him and the crowd. The Mazoku sighed. "Filia, go away."  
  
She ignored him. "How can you be such cowards?!" she demanded. "He's no threat to   
you!"  
  
"He's a Mazoku!" one of the crowd shot back. "He deserves it!"  
  
Xellos nodded. "Very true!" he told them. "I am a Mazoku, and I do deserve it. Blah   
blah blah! Blah blah BLAH!"   
  
Filia turned and growled at him. "You are making this VERY difficult!" she spat.  
  
"Soonest begun, soonest done," he told her darkly. "They're not doing anything you   
haven't wanted to do."  
  
She growled and turned back to the crowd.   
  
He sighed. Yes, it was best to end this here and now. A nothing was of no use to the   
Mazoku. They had no place…  
  
"He's a horrible creature!" a woman shouted.  
  
Yes, that as true. He WAS horrible… Sweet Ruby Eye, he liked being horrible. It was   
one of the best parts of the job…  
  
But he couldn't do that job anymore…  
  
"He's a murdering monster!" another cried.  
  
He nodded. Murder, while open to interpretation, was still nothing more than killing for   
jollies. He liked killing…  
  
But nothings couldn't kill…  
  
His thoughts turned inward as Filia continued to debate for his survival. Occasionally,   
words like "murderer" and "monster" seeped though this reverie. He didn't care.  
  
He was going to die. After a thousand years, he was going to die.  
  
Perhaps then, he wouldn't be a nothing…  
  
(You are failing me.)  
  
He blinked and looked up. Standing between himself and Filia, who was still pleading his   
case to the mob, was Lina Inverse…only…not so…  
  
(You are failing me,) he heard again in his mind.  
  
This Lina Inverse was not the shadow he traveled with, or the woman who had fought Dark   
Star with him. This Lina Inverse's hair was not red, but gold, and she stared at him with an   
emotionless mask.  
  
(You are failing me.)  
  
"Lord of Nightmares," he whispered.   
  
  
  
  
  
"ENOUGH TALK! BURN HIM!" someone shouted.  
  
"Stop it!" Filia screamed at them. She drew her mace and pointed it at them. "I will   
not allow such a thing!" She looked up as someone pushed their way through the crowd towards   
her. Seeing her distracted, the mob lunged forward at her, the two men closest to her raising clubs   
over their heads. She eep'd in surprise and braced herself.  
  
*THOCK! THOCK!*  
  
The dragon opened her eyes again just in time to see the top halves the men's clubs hit the   
ground. The two thugs blinked in shock, staring at their broken weapons with puzzled looks. The   
crowd itself seemed to fall prey to this shock and stopped their advance.  
  
Before Filia could open her mouth to ask what had happened, a woman with brown hair   
and holding a katana casually at her hip stepped between her and the crowd.  
  
"I wouldn't do that again," Stevanya Greysword told them with a mischievous smile.   
  
"Stay out of it!" someone near the back of the crowd shouted at her.  
  
Vanya drew a line in the dirt in front of her feet with the katana and looked up again.   
"Anyone crossing this line is going to regret it." She smiled. "So which of you ridge-runners   
wishes to feel regret first?"  
  
The crowd seemed unsure of what to do. Filia stepped forward again, brandishing her   
mace. Looking up, she could see Naga standing near the entrance of the inn, smiling and giving her   
the victory sign. She growled.  
  
"Figures…"  
  
Turning she saw Xellos, still tied to the post, staring in shock in her direction, yet not at   
her. Not at anything.  
  
What was going on?  
  
  
  
(You are failing me.)  
  
"I know," Xellos whispered. "I have failed everything. Metallium, Shabranigdo, my   
race…"  
  
The Lord of Nightmares stared down at him. (Metallium is irrelevant. Shabranigdo is   
irrelevant. You are failing ME.)  
  
"I don't understand," he told her in awe.  
  
Around them, he could still hear the shouts of the crowd.   
  
"He has to be destroyed! He's a Mazoku!"  
  
(You have a purpose.)  
  
"Not any longer. I am no longer a Mazoku, no longer a vassal of Metallium."  
  
(Metallium's purpose is irrelevant. You are a Mazoku. You serve MY purposes. Just as   
the Shinzoku serve. Just as the humans serve. You are failing me.)  
  
Xellos shook his head. "I don't understand."  
  
(Mazoku do not exist to obey Shabranigdo. You exist to serve the purpose I have set for   
you.)  
  
"He doesn't serve the Mazoku anymore!" Filia was shouting in his defense. "He's free!"  
  
"THEN HE'S A ROGUE! THAT JUST MAKES HIM WORSE!" someone screamed.  
  
"What is my purpose?" he asked the Lord of Nightmares.  
  
Her face was still expressionless. (Without hate, there cannot be love. Without death,   
there cannot be life. Without terror…there can be no peace…)  
  
Pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. As he had been dying, Hellmaster Phibrizzo   
had screamed that they had been created to destroy the world. Dark Star and Volpheid had joined   
together simply to stop the constant fighting between light and dark…and that had to be stopped as   
well…even though the world would have been destroyed.  
  
The Lord of Nightmares didn't create the Mazoku to destroy the world…  
  
They were supposed to TRY to destroy it.  
  
They were supposed to be destructive, because without destruction there could be no   
creation.  
  
They were supposed to kill, because without death there could be no hope for new life.  
  
They were supposed to be feared…  
  
Because fear kept people alive.  
  
"He's a rogue!" someone shouted again. "A rogue monster answering to no one!"  
  
Xellos smiled. "'Rogue Mazoku,'" he repeated. "I like the way that sounds…"  
  
For the first time in a week, he opened his senses and felt the fear of the people around   
him. The Lord of Nightmares disappeared from his sight, either she had been a weakness-induced   
hallucination, or a message…  
  
Actually, he really didn't care.  
  
He smiled.  
  
That's when the bonfire mound around him blew up.  
  
  
  
Filia and Vanya were thrown forward by the blast and hit the ground hard. Turning onto   
their backs, they saw a windstorm surrounding the pyre, pieces of oiled wood flew about in   
circles. And in the center of this tornado…  
  
Xellos floated.  
  
His eyes glowed red, and his smile was that of a lynx that had cornered its prey, a smile   
Filia had not seen on him in weeks. He reached out with his hand, and one piece of wood flew   
straight to it. The red gem at the head of the staff Shadow Lina had created for him glowed   
brightly.  
  
The crowd took several steps back in fear of this new development.  
  
Xellos smiled. "Oh! By all means, don't go yet!" He raised his staff over his head. The   
gem flashed, and suddenly, the oil-soaked wood flying around him burst into flames. "I thought   
you wanted to have a fire," he told them smiling. With a wave of his new staff, the flaming   
timbers flew out in all directions, striking various homes and businesses.  
  
The mob screamed and started running around in a panic, trying to put the flames out.   
  
"XELLOS!" Filia cried out at him.  
  
Watching from their place near the inn's entrance, Shadow Lina gulped. "I guess making   
him a new staff wasn't such a hot idea, huh?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know," Naga said thoughtfully. "He seems to like it."  
  
A flaming board struck the roof of the inn, setting it aflame. The four of them cried out and   
did what they could to put the fire out.  
  
  
  
Xellos was in heaven. There was nothing more exhilarating than soaking up panic and   
bald-faced fear. It was something that had to be drawn out over a period of time, and then, when it   
gives way to numbness, you toss in more fear. He opened his glowing eyes and watched the   
mundanes, as tiny as ants to him, scurry about in a desperate effort to save their town. Try to   
destroy HIM, will they?!  
  
This was why he was created. Serving Metallium had only set the parameters of how he   
went about it. He served a higher purpose, and he knew it now. He was Mazoku! He destroyed.   
He killed. He terrified.   
  
Because the Lord of Nightmares NEEDED HIM to do it!  
  
It had been a long time since he'd destroyed a town. He looked at his new staff and   
smiled. Why not truly test its power? With a single mental command, he floated into the sky.  
  
Filia watched as he rose upward.  
  
"XELLOS!" She growled. "WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, NAMAGOMI,   
YOU'RE DEAD!"   
  
Vanya stood up next to her and blinked, watching the Mazoku rise higher and higher into the   
sky. "Holy shit!" she commented.  
  
Filia turned to her. "Miss, thank you for your help earlier, however, I have to see to   
something. Excuse me, and please step back."  
  
The swordswoman blinked. "Stand back?"  
  
The dragon woman closed her eyes, her hands going to her chest. She let out a cry as   
golden light was emitted from her transformation. Vanya cried out and jumped back as Filia turned   
into a dragon.  
  
  
  
Xellos floated directly above Saldellia and hummed his favorite tune, using his new staff   
as a conductor's wand, directing the tiny mundanes below him to new fires as they tried to douse   
their town.   
  
"Now let's see," he said to himself. He pointed his staff down at a restaurant. "This   
looks like a good place to start. The gem in the staff glowed as it charged with dark energy. He   
hummed for a moment, then, as the tune reached a crescendo, he released the energy.  
  
The restaurant below erupted in a black fireball.   
  
  
  
Iffy stepped out of the tavern and patted her stomach. She loved ice cream…well…as   
much as a Mazoku can love ANYTHING. The female Mazoku blinked as she looked around.   
Funny…the town wasn't on fire a minute ago…  
  
She blinked as the restaurant she had just walked out of was struck by a dark blast and   
exploded behind her. Turning, she saw the damaged and eep'd in surprise. Looking up, she saw   
the source of the destruction.  
  
Xellos….Xellos was pointing his staff in her direction…  
  
"OH, CRAP!!" Iffy cried. She fumbled with her own staff for a minute. "HE'S ONTO   
ME!!" Striking the ground with the semi-circular head, a black portal opened up below her.   
"LORD GOD GENERAL PRIEST JINNAR!!" she wailed as she jumped in, panicking.   
  
The portal closed behind her.  
  
  
  
So many targets to choose from. So many ways to inflict pain and terror. He couldn't   
decide which one to destroy next. The bakery? No. The whole town would smell like cookies for   
a week…  
  
The nursery school?  
  
Nah, it was closed for the weekend…  
  
Oooh! Oooh! The park! Everyone loves the park! You can't go wrong with blowing up   
the park!   
  
Drunk on his misery high, Xellos pointed his staff at the park…  
  
Only to find it already burning.  
  
"Oh, bother," he muttered. "I guess I'll do it randomly." He pointed his staff downward   
and began moving it over different buildings as he chanted. "Eenie, meenie, miney, mail! Catch a   
dragon by her tail! If she hollers, let her wail! Eenie meenie miney mail!" His staff stopped over   
the local pet shop. "Gotta start somewhere." Energy began to collect in the staff's gem.  
  
A flash of gold appeared before his eyes, and suddenly, a golden dragon was floating in the   
air in front of him. He recognized the pink bow and shivered. With the return of his confidence,   
his Peak had resumed in full force…moreso even, considering the high he was on right now.  
  
"Xellos!" Filia cried. "Stop this!" Before she could react, Xellos had disappeared and   
reappeared next to her head, wrapping an arm around her neck. He pointed his staff down at the   
ground again.   
  
"Look at it, Filia chan!" he said in glee. "So much power and energy! So much emotion!   
Pain! Fear! Blood pumping at an incredible rate! The fire! The smoke! The terror!" He leaned   
close to her ear and kissed her golden scales. "I am SO turned on right now…"  
  
Filia squealed and flung him aside with a fling of her neck. "NAMAGOMI!! You can't   
just destroy an entire town!"  
  
He blinked. "Sure I can," he said. "You just have to use fire spells with the wood   
buildings first, then use your high explosive stuff on the brick buildings…"  
  
The Mazoku ducked as her golden tail whipped out of nowhere and nearly struck his head.   
"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEAN!!" she screamed. "IT'S WRONG! It's…It's…" She growled.   
"It's BAD!"  
  
Xellos shrugged. "Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the staff…" Filia looked angry enough to   
devour him. A part of him wished she would. "Come on, Filia chan!" he cried, holding his hand   
out to her. "It can be something we do together! Quality time! Call it our first date!"  
  
"Xellos," she began more calmly, "Stop this. Now."  
  
The Mazoku grinned. "Or what? They would've killed me if they could."  
  
"They were scared of you!"  
  
"And now they have a more concrete reason to be so." He pointed his staff downwards   
again.  
  
Filia paused. How could she possibly stop him? She wasn't stupid; she knew she couldn't   
kill him even if she wanted to.  
  
She blinked as something her sister said came back to her.   
  
("You're his mate, so you DO have some power over him, Filia...")  
  
The dragon swallowed nervously and came up with an idea. Flapping her dragon wings,   
she dived and hovered between Xellos and the town.  
  
"Xellos," she began sweetly. "Do you remember our bet? You said that if I lost, I'd have   
to kill you. Remember?"  
  
"Yes," he drawled out suspiciously.  
  
"Well…I won…" Filia smiled, some three hundred white dragon teeth glowing at him.  
  
"Hmmm…"  
  
She decided to turn up the heat and began to flick her tail from side to side. The Mazoku's   
eyes watched as the pink ribbon on the end of her golden tail swayed hypnotically from side to   
side.  
  
"So…you see," she went on as he watched her tail. "I won…and that means I get a   
reward. We just never discussed it." She smiled brightly.  
  
Xellos, meanwhile, was still enthralled in the smooth swaying of his mate's tail…  
  
"So…Xellos," she continued. "As my reward…could please, please, pretty please…NOT   
destroy this town?"  
  
His purple eyes swayed from left to right in time with the ribbon….  
  
"Whatever you say, Filia chan," he said as if in a trance.  
  
She smiled again. "Thank you, Xellos. Now why don't we go back down there and find   
the others…before they burn to death?"  
  
"Whatever you say, Filia chan…"  
  
Filia beamed. Perhaps there was something to this Peak thing, after all…  
  
  
  
"Stop shoving!" Naga complained as she nudged the shadow with her elbow.   
  
"Shhh!" the others warned.  
  
The Flaming Heroes remained very quiet as the small cart they were hiding in continued on   
its way out of Saldellia. It was decided that the best way for the group to leave would be in secret   
and had managed to bribe a merchant to take them in his wagon.   
  
And that's how the Flaming Heroes found themselves hiding under a blanket, huddled   
together in a rickety cart, fearing that they would be discovered and made to pay for the damage   
inflicted on the town.  
  
"This is YOUR fault, Namagomi," Filia's irate voice came from under the blanket. "AND   
GET YOUR HAND OFF MY TAIL!!!"  
  
"SHHHH!!!"  
  
"Now, Filia chan," Xellos replied. "I would think you'd be happy that I was back to some   
semblance of my old self." He broke off a second later. "Filia chan….is that your tail in my lap?   
How lewd!"  
  
"Oops! Sorry, Lord Xellos!" Amara's voice came from the other side of Xellos' voice   
under the blanket.  
  
"Amara!" Filia cried.  
  
"I said I was sorry!"  
  
"Jealous?" Xellos asked.  
  
"Hmmph!"  
  
"Um…Miss Naga?" Jeffrey's voice asked. "With all the hurry, I never got a chance to   
ask…Who's this woman?"  
  
"Guys, this is Vanya Greysword. The newest member of our band of unbeatable heroes!   
OOOOHO…"  
  
"SHHHH!!!"  
  
"oooohohohohohoho…" Naga replied more softly than before.  
  
"Hi," Vanya said from her side of the blanket.  
  
"Hey," everyone else's voices came back.  
  
"So…Where to now?" Shadow Lina asked.  
  
"My friends…" Naga told them theatrically from under the blanket. "We're off to   
Seyruun!"  
  
  
  
"YOU LAZY, GOOD-FOR-NOTHING IDIOT!!" Jinnar screamed. Iffy sat dejectedly on   
her knees before him, staring at the ground. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO   
DESTROY XELLOS, AND YOU LET IT SLIP THROUGH YOUR FINGERS!!! WHAT'S THE   
MATTER WITH YOU?! CAN'T YOU DO ANYTHING RIGHT!!"  
  
(It's not my fault,) Iffy thought to herself. (By the time I realized what was happening,   
Xellos was already at full strength. There was nothing I could do. But does HE realize that? Oh   
NOOOOOOO!)  
  
"ARE YOU EVEN PAYING ATTENTION TO ME?!"  
  
"Oh, bite me," Iffy muttered under her breath.  
  
"WHAT WAS THAT?!"  
  
Iffy sighed. "Scold!"  
  
Jinnar continued to scream at his hapless assistant as the sun set over Wolfpack Island…  
  
  
  
To Be Continued…  



	20. Reunion! The Trials of Family!

Slayers is the property of Kadokawa Shoten and Software Sculptors.  
  
LINA: Lina Inverse here! Just when you think you know who you're fighting and why,   
things take a sudden turn! What the hell kind of story is this, anyway?! Can't I just go back   
to trashing bandits and fighting Mazoku?! NOOOO!! I have to deal with this kind of crap!   
And to top it off, Sylphiel might be pregnant?! Jeez! When did this series become a made   
for TV movie?! The melodrama's kill'n me!  
  
AMELIA: But it doesn't matter, because I got my Gracia Oneechan back! Two loving   
sisters are reunited at last!  
  
LINA: AAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!  
  
  
  
Faces: After!  
Part 20  
Reunion!  
The Trials of Family!  
  
  
  
  
  
Sylphiel said nothing. She was staring down at the tabletop, unwilling to look Lina   
in the eye.  
  
"That's it, isn't it?" Lina asked softly. "Zel's, I assume…"  
  
The shrine maiden looked up in irritation. "Well OF COURSE it's Zelgadis   
dear's!"  
  
"Okay! Okay! Shhh! I didn't mean anything by it!" Lina assured her. "Well…I   
mean…How? I…"  
  
Sylphiel looked miserable.  
  
"Congratulations."  
  
The shrine maiden didn't look up to accepting the accolade and said nothing.  
  
"Um…Isn't this what you wanted?" Lina asked softly.  
  
Sylphiel finally looked up at her. "But not like this! Not NOW!"  
  
The redhead blinked in confusion. "What's the problem?" she asked. "I   
mean…I've seen your dreams, Sylphiel. I KNOW this is what you've always wanted…"  
  
The shrine maiden looked fearfully at Lina. "But never until AFTER Zelgadis dear   
found his cure!"  
  
Lina blinked again, this time as realization dawned on her. "You don't think Zel is   
just going to SPLIT, do you?!"  
  
"Of course he wouldn't! He's not that type of man!"  
  
"Then what?!" Lina asked. "What has you so scared?"  
  
Sylphiel looked away, once again unable to look Lina in the eye.   
  
"Come on…What is it?"  
  
The priestess took a breath. "This is going to change things…"  
  
"Of course it's going to change things!" Lina told her.  
  
"He won't want to leave…"  
  
"Well, I would certainly hope not!" Lina agreed.  
  
She looked up at the redhead. "And what about his cure?" she asked softly.  
  
Lina went dead silent. Suddenly, she saw Sylphiel's point, her fear. She knew   
Zelgadis, and she knew that the second Sylphiel told him about the baby, he'd act. In all   
likelihood, Sylphiel would have an engagement ring on her finger the very next day, and he   
would immediately stop his search. There was no way he'd leave her now.   
  
He had too much honor for that.  
  
And that frightened Sylphiel. Would Zelgadis stay out of duty or love? And if it   
was duty, would that make him resent both her and his child? Would the idea that his cure   
was still out there, in reach, gnaw at his mind?  
  
It was one hell of a problem, that was for sure. Lina could see why Sylphiel would   
be worried. It was exactly the kind of thing that someone as sensitive as Sylphiel WOULD   
worry about.   
  
The shrine maiden was staring at the tabletop again.  
  
Lina sighed. "What do you want to do?"  
  
  
  
"Well, you lost him! I hope you're happy!"  
  
Iffy sighed and bowed her head. "I'm sorry, Lord God General Priest Jinnar Sir,"   
she whimpered meekly.   
  
Jinnar growled and turned back to his wall-sized map of the world. "Well there's   
no use crying over it now, I guess. My other cronies should find him again before long.   
Until then you do exactly as you're told! Understand!?"  
  
"Yes, Master…"  
  
"Good." Jinnar put his finger to his lips in thought. "Well, as long as you're not   
busy you might as well continue with the Seyruun operation."  
  
"Finally…."  
  
"What was that?!"  
  
"NOTHING, MASTER!" Iffy cried, waving her hands frantically.  
  
"Good! Now get going!"  
  
Iffy saluted smartly. "Yes, Sir, Lord God Ge…"  
  
"JUST GO!!!"  
  
Iffy disappeared.  
  
Jinnar sighed. "How can a Mazoku be so dumb?"  
  
  
  
Sylphiel turned the key to her room and stepped inside, expecting to find the others   
there. Lina had told her there was something else she needed to take care of and had sent   
her back to the inn to apprise the others of the situation.  
  
Except there was no one here to apprise.  
  
She blinked at the empty room for a moment and found herself actually sighing in   
relief. Sylphiel didn't want to face him right now. She couldn't. Not yet. Not while she   
was still so confused.  
  
The shrine maiden sat down on one of the two beds in the room and took a breath.   
Digesting the news was still hard for her. Lina had promised to help, but she knew in the   
end this was something she'd have to face alone.  
  
Her hand came to rest on a piece of folded paper lying on the bed next to her.   
Blinking, she opened it.   
  
"'Lina,'" she read out loud. "'Went to the palace with Amelia. Back later.   
Gourry.'" She blinked. "'P.S. Save some dinner for me.'" She put the note down. "The   
palace?" She blinked again and stood up. The shrine maiden would have to start now if   
she was going to catch up to them before they got into trouble. She scrawled a note to Lina   
and left it where the redhead was sure to find it before walking out the door.  
  
Walking…not running…  
  
She still wanted some time to herself to think.  
  
  
  
Lina put the teacup down and looked up at the woman sitting across from her. "So,   
come on, Ritsu," she said. "What does it mean in human terms?"  
  
The blonde in the white coat took a sip of tea before looking her friend in the eye.   
"To be honest, I'm not quite sure. There HAVE been cases where a sorceress with child   
has retained her powers, but those instances are rare and due more to a specific astral   
anomaly that's not present in Miss Sylphiel." She set her teacup down and adopted a   
pensive look. "More than that, I really can't discuss with you."  
  
"Ritsu," Lina went on, "We've been friends for a long time. If there's something   
you're holding back…"  
  
"Without examining the father, I really can't say for sure…"  
  
"But you suspect something," Lina told her.  
  
Ritsuko stood up and walked to the window of her office. Without looking at the   
redhead, she began. "The human body works in certain ways, Lina. It has certain failsafes   
and cycles designed to keep it safe and operating normally. As long as the body remains a   
totally human one, these safeguards work. But in cases of…mixed pairings…it can be   
somewhat…different."  
  
"Zelgadis is still human, Ritsuko," Lina informed her.   
  
"Perhaps not totally," the Healer whispered. "Not…astrally…or maybe there's   
something inside that's not TOTALLY human. That could be why Miss Sylphiel has   
retained her powers."  
  
"Something like what?" Lina asked.  
  
"Something…divine?" Ritsuko asked herself. "Or demonic?"  
  
Lina's eyes went wide as she began to get the gist of what Ritsuko was suggesting.   
"You know," she whispered, "Now that I think of it…Luna never lost her powers during   
her cycle…I know because I'd always wait for her time of the month so I could turn the   
tables on her….And she always kicked my ass anyway…" She stood up and faced the   
healer. "If you're saying what I think you're saying…Then that means…"  
  
Ritsuko faced her. "That Sylphiel is either carrying a small piece of the Flare   
Dragon Cepheid…"  
  
The redhead swallowed dreadfully as the full implications of what she was about   
say took hold of her. "…Or a piece of a Mazoku…"  
  
  
  
Where Zelgadis, Amelia, and Gourry had snuck into the palace, Sylphiel preferred   
to simply walk up and ring the front doorbell. This was, of course, after smiling to the   
guard and giving him her name and her business there, I.E. preventing her friends from   
causing untold mischief. After inquiring if anyone had been arrested on the palace grounds   
and finding out that her friends were not in a dungeon…yet…Sylphiel found herself ringing   
the bell at the front door of the castle.  
  
She waited; the two guards standing nearby took no notice of her. Finally, the door   
opened…  
  
"Miss Naga?!" Sylphiel asked, blinking.  
  
Gracia blinked at the woman on the doorstep from inside the castle.   
"Um…Hello…Miss…"  
  
"Sylphiel. Remember? We met in Giln."  
  
Gracia looked puzzled for a moment. She had traveled a lot and had been in Giln   
on more than one occasion. "Um…Yes! Of course! Sylphiel!" she said excitedly. "Of   
course I remember!" she said, when in reality she hadn't a clue.  
  
Sylphiel smiled. She knew Naga was a little flaky…  
  
"Um…How have you been?" Gracia asked politely. "Please, come in." She stood   
aside and let the shrine maiden enter the palace proper.  
  
"I'm all right, I suppose," Sylphiel told her. "When did you come to Seyruun?"  
  
"Oh, weeks ago," Gracia replied, racking her brain for an answer as to how she   
might know this woman. "Um…I got engaged," she announced, showing off the ring.  
  
Sylphiel blinked and smiled, hugging the tall woman. "I'm so happy for you!?   
Er…It's not Xellos, is it?"  
  
Gracia laughed. "OOOOHOHOHOHO!!! No, no, no! Xellos was a polite enough   
man and an amicable breakfast guest, but he's no Huey!"  
  
"So Xellos left?" Sylphiel asked as they walked down the hall.  
  
"Oh, weeks ago!" Gracia told her, remembering the nice young man she had   
breakfast with that one time.  
  
"Oh, well, could you help me? I'm looking for three of my friends…"  
  
"Oh! So you know my sister!"  
  
Sylphiel beamed. She KNEW it! "So you ARE Amelia's sister! I knew it!"  
  
"Just follow me! They're this way!"  
  
  
  
"Then there was the time me and Gracia Oneechan went to the Seyruun Zoo and   
kept a tiger from escaping and wreaking havoc on the populace!" Amelia continued with   
yet ANOTHER 'Me and Gracia Oneechan' story. The two men sitting at the table with   
Amelia and Phil could understand that the princess was excited about her sister being   
home, but they were rapidly wishing that Gracia HAD turned out to be an imposter with a   
nefarious plan.  
  
So when Gracia returned with Sylphiel in tow, it was like watching salvation itself   
enter…  
  
"Sylphiel!…Er…Syl chan!" Zelgadis cried, jumping from his seat and rushing to   
the shrine maiden. Before Sylphiel could react, the chimera was hugging her and   
whispering in her ear. "I'll do whatever you want. Just get me the hell out of here!"  
  
"Zelgadis de…" She oomph'd suddenly as Gourry joined the hug.   
  
"We're begging you!" the swordsman whispered urgently. "We'll do   
anything…ANYTHING!!!"  
  
Gracia smiled. "Well, isn't this just wonderful?!" Amelia nodded in agreement.  
  
"Ah!" Phil began, rising to his feet. "So you're here! And where is Miss Lina?!"  
  
"Well," Sylphiel said, "I left a note at the inn, so she should be…"  
  
"Hey! Anyone home?!" Lina's voice called from down the hall.   
  
  
  
Lina growled as she left the two unconscious guards crumpled on the front steps.   
She couldn't believe how utterly stupid they were. First Amelia, Gourry, and Zelgadis run   
off to the palace after she told them not to! Now, Sylphiel had gone after them.  
  
It was time for Lina Inverse to kick some ass.  
  
"Hey! Anyone home!?" she called out, readying a spell. "Come out, come out,   
where ever you are!"  
  
She turned the corner into the sitting room and saw her friends before her,   
apparently having tea and cookies without her…  
  
Strike one…  
  
Gourry was hugging Sylphiel…  
  
Strike two….  
  
And standing off to side, smiling brightly was…  
  
Strike three…  
  
"Naga," she breathed.  
  
Gracia was smiling brightly. Clapping her hands together, she rushed forward.   
"Oh! Lina chan! I've missed you so much!!!"  
  
"FIREBALL!!!"  
  
  
  
Repair crews were working on fixing up the sitting room, but in the meantime, the   
group had decided to have some dinner. The Royal Family of Seyruun sitting down   
together for a meal was an oddity in itself without the fact that they were all wearing   
bandages from being singed by Lina's spell.  
  
Sitting on the other side of the table, Lina fumed.   
  
"What is your problem?" Zelgadis whispered to her from his seat.  
  
"Okay, I admit, I got caught by surprise by seeing her, but that is NOT Naga."  
  
"It looks like Miss Naga to me, Miss Lina," Sylphiel spoke up from the other side   
of Zelgadis.  
  
"I refuse to believe it," Lina growled. "Naga wouldn't be caught dead wearing   
that much clothes! And the fact that she's being polite just shows that, whoever she is,   
she's bad at acting!"  
  
"But…" Gourry said, a finger to his lips in thought, "Everyone else here seems to   
think it's her. Maybe you're just wrong."  
  
Lina turned an acidic gaze on her boyfriend. "Gourry…DEAR," she muttered   
evilly. "I….am….not….nor am I ….EVER…..WRONG!"  
  
"Um…Yeah, I guess I forgot…"  
  
"It's not Naga! And I can prove it!" Lina declared in a harsh whisper.  
  
"I'll have the soup," Amelia said to a well-dressed waiter.  
  
"Roast chicken!" Phil added.  
  
"I'll have a salad," Gracia told them.  
  
"A-HA!!! PROOF!!" Lina screamed, jumping to her feet and pointing an accusing   
finger at the First Princess. "NAGA THE WHITE SERPENT WOULD NEVER ORDER   
JUST A SALAD!!! IMPOSTER BITCH!!!"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Miss Lina!" Amelia cried angrily. "How could you say that about my own   
sister?!"  
  
Before the Second Princess could continue, there was a sound.  
  
A sniffle, to be precise.  
  
Gracia dabbed at her eyes with a napkin. "I…I don't know what to say, Lina   
chan…After all we've been through together…"  
  
"Now look what you've done!" Amelia cried, rushing to Gracia's side. "You've   
made her cry! For shame, Miss Lina! For SHAME!"  
  
"Oh, can it!" Lina told her. "I once saw this woman eat a ROCK!" She faced the   
First Princess. "Salad, my ass!"  
  
"Miss Lina!" Sylphiel cried. "Whether you like Miss Naga or not, you are a guest   
in HER house!"  
  
"THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! THIS ISN'T HER HOUSE! SHE'S   
AN IMPOSTER!"  
  
"Tha…That's not true! I AM Gracia Wil Naga Seyruun!" Gracia sniffled. "We   
used to travel all over the world together, Lina chan! How…How can you say I'm an   
imposter!?"  
  
"A….SALAD?!"  
  
"I have to watch my figure…" Gracia told her. She stood up and walked around   
the table until she was standing in front of Lina. "Please, Lina chan. I know I've done   
some mean things to you…but please…please be my friend." She held her hand out for the   
redhead to shake.  
  
Lina looked up at Gracia and raised her hand…  
  
  
  
"I can't believe you belted her right there in front of Miss Amelia and Prince Phil!"   
Sylphiel said, shaking her head.  
  
Sitting in the small cell of the Seyruun palace's dungeon, Lina huffed. "I'm telling   
you, it's not the real Naga!"  
  
"She seems like a perfectly nice young lady," Sylphiel commented.  
  
Lina glared at her. "And how does that compare to the Naga YOU met?!"  
  
The shrine maiden blinked. "Okay, I see your point." She looked through the bars   
at her friend and sighed. "But even so…Isn't it possible that…Oh, I don't know… How   
can there be more than one Miss Naga?"  
  
"It's probably one of those damn copiis," Lina growled. "Gold-digging little   
sneaks…"  
  
"If it was a copii, wouldn't that make her JUST like Miss Naga?"  
  
"Yeah…"  
  
Sylphiel nodded. "Then it couldn't be a copii! A copii would be mean, abrasive,   
and insulting! Miss Gracia is the exact opposite of that!"  
  
Lina's eyes went wide.  
  
"Miss Lina?"  
  
"Oh…my….GOD!"  
  
  
  
"Gracia Oneechan? Are you feeling better now?" Amelia asked as she put the wet   
towel away. Her recovery spell healed up the black eye nicely, but did nothing for her   
older sister's self esteem.  
  
Gracia sniffled. "I just can't believe sweet little Lina chan would be so mean!"   
She sniffed again and buried her face in her hands. "All those years traveling alone must   
have seriously warped her moral center!"  
  
Amelia blinked. "Miss Lina has a moral center?"  
  
  
  
Floating outside the princess' window, Iffy blinked. With a thought, she   
disappeared and reappeared on the palace roof. "Hmmm…" She reached into her pocket   
and took out her 'To Do' list.  
  
"Buy bread….Do Lord God General Priest Jinnar Sir's laundry…kill Xellos, and   
that's underlined twice….Oh! Here we are! 'Kill the Princess of Seyruun!'"   
  
She looked up.   
  
"THE Princess of Seyruun….As in ONE princess of Seyruun….But there's two of   
them down there! Should I go back to Wolfpack Island and ask Lord God General Priest   
Jinnar which one is the one I'm supposed to kill?"  
  
An image of Jinnar, breathing Hellfire and pointing at her popped into her mind.  
  
"YOU MEAN YOU FAILED AGAIN, YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF ASTRAL   
SLIME!!!???"  
  
She hung her head. "Oh, dear, anything but that!" Sighing, she kicked a shingle off   
the roof and listened to the sharp cry of pain from below as it struck a passing woman.  
  
"Okay," she said, taking a breath. "What exactly did Lord God General Priest   
Jinnar tell me to do?"  
  
A chibi Jinnar appeared on top of her head, his arms folded across his chest as Iffy   
remembered the conversation. "Iffy, would you be nice enough to go to Seyruun and take   
care of the problem there? Apparently, the princess of Seyruun is developing a secret anti-  
Mazoku weapon and she has to be stopped! Pretty please!?"  
  
The chibi disappeared, and Iffy blinked. "So….If I destroyed the WEAPON, I   
wouldn't have to worry about which princess to kill since I wouldn't have to kill a   
princess to begin with!" She smiled and floated up into the air.  
  
"Iffy, you are such a genius!"  
  
In a puff of smoke, she was gone.  
  
  
  
"Amelia, this is my fiancé, Huey!"  
  
Amelia scratched her head and giggled nervously. "Yeah, we've met." She bowed   
to the man before her. "Sorry about…you know…tying you to a chair and trying to beat a   
confession out of you…"  
  
Huey Einberg smiled. "That's all right. Your sister always told me you were a   
'warrior of justice.'"  
  
"I can't believe MY Oneechan is getting married!" Amelia gushed, her hands   
clasped in front of her. "So tell me how you two met!" She plopped down in a chair and   
looked up at the two of them.  
  
"Well," Gracia began, sitting down next to her, "It all started when Huey and I met   
for the second time…."  
  
  
  
"Naga chan! Naga chan! Look! Lookit all the cute golems!!!"  
  
Shadow Lina bounced up and down in glee as several tiny golems danced in the   
display case in front of her.   
  
"They're so ADORABLE!!!"  
  
Gracia, dressed in a simple blue dress that covered her from neck to ankles walked   
up behind the redhead and smiled. "And they look like you, Lina chan!"  
  
Shadow Lina continued bouncing up and down, clapping her hands in joy….  
  
  
  
"Miss Lina was with you?" Amelia asked. She put her finger to her lips.   
"Hmmm….I guess it was during one of those times that we had all broken up…"  
  
"I guess so," Gracia said noncommittally.  
  
  
  
"Oh! I have to get one! Luna Oneechan would LOVE it!" Without another word,   
the shadow dashed into the small golem shop, leaving Gracia there to view the golems.  
  
As the tall woman looked over the dancing statues, someone walking by had caught   
sight of her.  
  
Huey Einberg stopped in the middle of the street and blinked. "Look, Laia! It's   
her!"  
  
His pink-haired sister looked in the direction Huey was pointing and went pale.   
"Oh no! They're back!" She started tearing up. Memories of what happened last time the   
woman and her red haired companion had come to town resurfaced. Lina and Naga using   
up their grocery money on fast food and ale. Lina and Naga getting into a fight in the street   
in the middle of the night. Lina and Naga DESTROYING the entire town trying to get at   
one another.  
  
Tears ran down her face. "I'm so unfortunate!"  
  
Huey didn't notice. He was staring at the woman. Her image had haunted him ever   
since she had left after the great golem battle. He didn't notice that his sister was staring at   
something down the street. Didn't notice her waving and screaming frantically. Didn't   
notice her run out of the street as fast as she could….  
  
And he didn't notice when an out-of-control bull golem ran straight into him.  
  
  
  
"How awful!" Amelia cried.  
  
  
  
Huey hit the ground hard. The bull raced down the street, not giving the man it just   
totaled a second glance. He winced in pain. He was pretty sure his ribs were broken. A   
shadow fell over his form, and he looked up…  
  
SHE was standing right there.   
  
"Miss…Naga…"  
  
Gracia knelt before him. "You poor thing!" she cried.. "Hold still." She placed   
her hands on his chest and chanted a healing spell. He could feel his bones mending under   
his skin, under her gentle touch.   
  
"Miss…Naga," he whispered.  
  
She looked down into his piercing gaze, a blush rose to her cheeks…  
  
  
  
"And we've been together ever since!" Gracia finished.  
  
Amelia clapped. "How romantic!"  
  
"After a few months, we decided to get married," Huey told her, "But Gracia chan   
wanted to have the wedding here so her family could be a part of it. So we packed our   
things and moved here."  
  
"We were just waiting for you to come back, Amelia chan!" Gracia told her   
excitedly. "I want you to be my Maid of Honor."  
  
"Really?!" Amelia gushed. "Me?! Maid of Honor?!" She ran forward and hugged   
her sister. "I love you, Gracia Oneechan!"  
  
"I love you too, Amelia chan…"  
  
  
  
Floating outside the window, Iffy sniffled. "That's so sweet!" She wiped a tear   
away. "It's so wonderful and happy and…" She broke off as she started feeling woozy.   
"Oh, yeah…" she muttered shakily. "Mazoku….Happy…Bad…." Without another word   
she started falling from the sky.   
  
She fell past several palace windows before striking the ground and crashing right   
through to the sub-basement below…  
  
  
  
"Sylphiel! You have GOT to get me out of here!" Lina said, shaking the bars of   
her cell.   
  
"Miss Lina, you really shouldn't make things worse," Sylphiel cautioned her.  
  
"Why do you think I haven't busted MYSELF out of here?!" Lina asked her. "I   
don't want Amelia hunting after me again! Last time that happened it sucked! Just go get   
Amelia and tell her that I need to speak to her!"  
  
"She's awfully mad at you right now, Miss Lina. I don't think she'll listen…"  
  
"You're a shrine maiden of Cepheid! Use your pull! You know the big guy, right?!   
Use some influence and get me out of here!"  
  
"It's really not as simple as…"  
  
Before the shrine maiden could finish, a Mazoku crashed through the ceiling of   
Lina's tiny cell and went straight through the floor, leaving two gaping holes; one going   
down, the other going up.  
  
Lina blinked. She looked from Sylphiel, to the holes, and back again before   
looking up at the sky. "And a million goldpieces!" she shouted out. When nothing   
appeared, she stamped her foot. "Damn! Thought I was onto something for a second   
there…"  
  
"Miss Lina! Who WAS that?!"  
  
"Hell if I know," Lina muttered, dropping to her knees and looking down the hole   
in the floor. "Let's go find out…"  
  
  
  
Gourry stepped inside the room the Royal Family had set up for him and yawned.   
He was looking forward to a good night's rest. Sure, Lina was in the dungeon, but at least   
that meant there was no way she could fly in through the window and…  
  
He stopped suddenly.  
  
Someone was in the room with him.  
  
"Who's there?!" he called out, his hand going to the hilt of his sword.   
  
Something whispered in the darkness.  
  
He reached out and struck a match against the wall, lighting a nearby lamp with it.   
With the room illuminated, he could see the threat arrayed against him. He gasped.  
  
At least twenty chibi's were standing on his bed. Chibi Zelgadis, Chibi Amelia,   
and Chibi Sylphiel at the head of the pack, their arms folded over their chests in anger.  
  
"Oh, God, not again," he whimpered.  
  
"Gourry dear," Chibi Sylphiel began. "This is an intervention."  
  
Chibi Amelia nodded. "We're all part of your mind, Gourry, and we're here to tell   
you in one just voice that you have a problem!"  
  
"Yeah," Chibi Zelgadis said, "That you're still acting like a whiny little bitch."  
  
"Now, now, Zelgadis dear," Chibi Sylphiel told the other chibi. "No need to be   
rude."  
  
"But he IS acting like a whiny little bitch!" Chibi Zelgadis defended.  
  
"So…" Gourry began, pointing at Chibi Zelgadis, "You're my angry side…" He   
pointed at Chibi Amelia, "You're my good side…" He turned his finger on Chibi Sylphiel.   
"And you would be my romantic side, right?"  
  
They all nodded.  
  
"So what are you?" he asked, pointing to a chibi in the back.  
  
Chibi Gaav hefted his sword over his shoulder. "I'm your subconscious fear of   
weird-looking men wearing trench coats and carrying phallic objects…"  
  
The other chibi's all turned to look at him.  
  
"Well, I AM!" Chibi Gaav defended.  
  
"That's not the point!" Chibi Amelia cried, turning back on Gourry. "We're here   
to get you to act on your feelings for Miss Lina!"  
  
"Just talk to us, Gourry dear!" Chibi Sylphiel begged.  
  
"Or else," Chibi Zelgadis threw in.  
  
"Suuuuurrrreee…" Gourry said. He started to turn. "Just let me get   
my….YOINK!" With that, he ran down out the door and down the hall!  
  
"HE'S MAKING A RUN FOR IT!" Chibi Amelia cried, pointing after him.  
  
"STOP THE VIOLATOR!!" Chibi Gaav yelled.  
  
"AFTER HIM!" Chibi Sylphiel shouted as the pack of chibi's took off after the   
swordsman.  
  
  
  
"I….tai…" Iffy whimpered as she stood up. She blinked and looked around.   
Looking up at the sky, she saw that she had fallen through several sub-basements before   
stopping here. Daylight was just a small pinprick of illumination far above her.  
  
"Wow," she breathed. Turning to her new surroundings, she could only see   
darkness. With a mental command, the orb in the head of her staff began to glow,   
illuminating the area with a pale, blue light. She could see now that she was in a large   
antechamber. An opening to her right led towards a dark hallway.  
  
"Hmmm…." Iffy said to herself. "A dark room….a dark tunnel…A dark   
EVERYTHING!" She snapped her fingers. "The PERFECT place to hide a secret   
weapon!"  
  
Praising herself for her leap of logic, Iffy started down the hallway.  
  
  
  
A ball of light fell from the opening in the ceiling and bounced a few times before   
coming to rest on the floor. A few seconds later, booted feet landed softly next to it. A   
few seconds after that, a second set of boots, these purple, landed next to them.  
  
Sylphiel held up her own lighting spell as Lina's floated up from its place on the   
floor and came to rest in her hand.   
  
"I've never seen THIS part of Seyruun before," Lina breathed, moving the light orb   
around to get a better look at the antechamber.   
  
"Well, from the looks of things, that young woman would have landed here,"   
Sylphiel pointed out. "But where is she?"  
  
Lina pointed her light down at the floor and nodded her head at what she saw.   
"Looks like she walked out." Sylphiel turned and saw the footprints in the dust before   
them. "One tough girl…"  
  
The shrine maiden nodded. "What now?"  
  
The redhead started down the tunnel down which Iffy had walked. Sylphiel   
followed just behind.  
  
  
  
Gourry dashed around the corner, panting for breath. This was going too far! It   
was okay when they were giving him advice or playing devil's advocate, but now they had   
their own agenda, and it was freaking him out!  
  
He turned to look behind him and screamed.  
  
Twenty chibi's were running behind him in hot pursuit.   
  
"STAY AWAY FROM ME!!!" he screamed at them.  
  
"You can't hide from US, bitch!" Chibi Zelgadis shouted after him. "We're YOUR   
mind!!"  
  
"SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!" Gourry screamed as he turned another corner…  
  
Crashing headfirst into Zelgadis.  
  
"Gourry?! What's wrong?!"  
  
The blond turned and pointed down the hallway. "THEM!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Zelgadis looked around the corner for whoever it was that had frightened the   
greatest swordsman in the world out of his mind.  
  
Nothing.  
  
"Um…Gourry?"  
  
The blond man cowered behind the chimera. "They were there! I swear! I   
SWEAR, ZELGADIS! THEY WERE AFTER ME! They looked like YOU! And Amelia!   
And Sylphiel! And Gaav! And…"  
  
Zelgadis regarded his friend as he ranted. After about the seventh familiar name on   
the list, he reached out and slapped the swordsman. "Get ahold of yourself!"  
  
"But I'm telling you! They're real! I saw it! IT WAS OUT ON THE WING OF   
THE PLANE!!!!"  
  
Zelgadis smacked Gourry again, and the blonde seemed to come around, blinking in   
confusion. "Now if you're done hallucinating…" Zelgadis prompted.  
  
Gourry looked back down the hall. No chibi's. "Oh, thank Cepheid!" he breathed.   
"I thought they had me for sure that time!"  
  
"Er…Right…" Zelgadis agreed. He looked up at the cowering blonde and took a   
breath. "Gourry, I want to talk to you."  
  
"You can do whatever you want as long as you don't leave me alone for them to get   
me!"  
  
"Um…Okay… Why don't I buy you a drink? It'll….make you less psychotic…"  
  
"Yeah…Yeah, that would be good," Gourry replied, looking around fearfully.   
"Booze…That'll work…Yeah…"  
  
Zelgadis rested a hand on Gourry's shoulder and started guiding him downstairs.   
The blond's head was darting to and fro like that of a prairie dog that just heard a   
rattlesnake nearby.   
  
"Gourry," Zelgadis began, "I wanted to talk to you about something." He took a   
breath and began. "Sylphiel told me about how the two of you met. I just…wanted to   
say…Thank you."  
  
"Uh huh," Gourry replied, not really paying attention as he searched his   
surroundings for hiding chibi's…  
  
"I'm not going to explain why," the chimera went on gruffly. "So I'll just say thank   
you and be done with it, all right?"  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
Zelgadis looked at Gourry and sighed as they continued to walk.  
  
  
  
The sounds of dripping water were the only ones present in the tunnel. It was   
obviously very ancient and hadn't been used in centuries. Cobwebs covered the stone   
walls. The air was musty and stale. The trail Lina and Sylphiel had been following had   
seemed to fade away. For some reason there was less dust in this part of the cavern.  
  
"So," Lina began, making conversation, "Have you decided how you're going to   
tell him?"  
  
Sylphiel paused for a moment and bowed her head. "Not yet."  
  
"Can't hide it forever," Lina pointed out.  
  
"Yes, Miss Lina, I know that," the shrine maiden replied tiredly. "I just need a   
little time to prepare him for it."  
  
"Well…Whatever happens, we're there for you, Sylphiel," Lina told her sincerely.  
  
"Thank you, Miss Lina," Sylphiel replied warmly and with a sniffle.  
  
Seeing that the shrine maiden's dam was about to burst, Lina thought fast.   
"Uh…Looks like a fork up here! Let's split up, okay?"  
  
Sylphiel nodded.  
  
The two sorceresses started down different paths.  
  
  
  
Iffy waved her staff around this new chamber and blinked. There was a familiar   
feeling here. She just couldn't put her finger on why, though…  
  
The tunnel fork she had taken led her to this place. It was a large chamber several   
meters high. Writing in an ancient tongue covered the walls. The script was so old that   
even predated HER. Sitting in the center of the room was a pedestal, and atop this pedestal   
was a single ruby.  
  
Something whispered to her.  
  
She turned sharply. "Hello?!" The Mazoku blinked as it whispered to her again.   
"Well of course I'm a Mazoku, silly!" She smiled brightly. "Can't you tell?"  
  
If whispers could sweatdrop…  
  
It settled for whispering to her again.  
  
"Oh wow! Really?!" she asked excitedly. She began hopping up and down in   
glee, giggling.  
  
A harsh whisper stopped her.  
  
"Sorry," she apologized. "I'm just so excited! I've never met royalty before!"  
  
If the whispers could, they would have smiled. Instead, they started to tell Iffy what   
she would have to do in or…  
  
"Ooh! Lord God General Priest Jinnar should hear this!" Iffy said suddenly. She   
raised her staff over her head and formed a dark portal in the floor. "I'll go tell him!"  
  
The whispers would have blinked if they could. Instead they started shouting at the   
dense Mazoku, ordering her to stay!  
  
"I'll be right back!" Iffy cried. "I promise!"  
  
At this point, the whispers started getting hostile…  
  
Iffy looked crossly at the ruby. "Jeez, I hope the OTHER parts of you aren't this   
pushy! I said I'll be right back!"  
  
The ruby started glowing an angry red.  
  
"Later!" Iffy said with a smile and a victory sign before hopping through the portal.   
The dark doorway closed behind her, leaving the glowing crystal to its own evil thoughts.  
  
Before its annoyance could grow into hate, however, he heard something.  
  
"Is someone down here?"  
  
  
  
Sylphiel stepped forward into the chamber. She could have sworn she heard   
someone speaking…  
  
Instead of a potential conversationalist, she found a mammoth room with a large   
ruby sitting on a pedestal in the center.   
  
"Hello?" she called out again.  
  
"Mazoku…"  
  
She turned suddenly. Someone had whispered the word right into her ear! But   
there was no one there…  
  
"Miss Lina?" she asked. "This isn't funny!"  
  
She heard another whisper, something more faint. It was as if she could hear it in   
the back of her mind.   
  
"Sylphiel," she answered the whisper's question. "Who are you?"  
  
The whispers lied.  
  
"I don't believe you," Sylphiel told it flat out. The ruby started to glow.  
  
It whispered angrily to her. A red mist, almost a blood fog, rose near her feet   
unnoticed.   
  
Sylphiel swallowed fearfully and started back the way she had come. "I'm going to   
go get Miss Lina," she breathed. When she turned to leave, she found the red fog blocking   
her path. She jumped back a pace, only to find another patch of the fog moving over her   
shoulder and down to her waist. It seemed to linger there for a moment.  
  
The whispers said something…  
  
Sylphiel's eyes went wide. She turned and darted to a corner of the room the fog   
hadn't covered yet. "Get away from me! Flare Arrow!" The bolt of fire went straight   
through the fog and struck the far wall with no effect. "S…Stay away! Miss Lina!"  
  
"MISS LINA!!!!"  
  
  
  
"You must choose," the frail, ancient man in the chain mail with a large, red cross   
on the front told her. "But choose wisely. For while the true Grail will bring you life…the   
false one will take it from you."  
  
Lina looked around the room filled with cups of differing sizes, shapes, and values.   
Her eyes traveled over each one in turn. She stepped forward. A simple cup was before   
her now, made of stained wood and faded paint. The simple cup of a carpenter…  
  
She slowly reached out…  
  
And picked up the gold, jeweled cup that was sitting next to it.  
  
"LUCKY!" Lina cried, holding it aloft. She ran to the small basin of water nearby   
while the elderly knight was bashing his head against the wall. She filled the glittering cup   
with water. "Eternal life, here I come!" she toasted. She put the cup to her lips…  
  
"MISS LINA!!!!"  
  
And spit the water out. "Sylphiel?!" she called back.   
  
No answer.   
  
The redhead tossed the golden cup aside and started running back down the   
corridor from where she had come. She found the fork in the road quickly enough and   
started sprinting down the path Sylphiel had taken.   
  
Within a few minutes, she was there.  
  
Sylphiel was rising to her feet, her hand on her head. Lina looked around and   
blinked. There was nothing in the chamber except some cobwebs, some old writing, and a   
ruby with large crack in it.  
  
"Sylphiel? What happened? Are you okay?"  
  
The shrine maiden nodded as she stood up. "Yes, Miss Lina, thank you." She   
pointed at the cracked stone. "That…That ruby was the source of some hideous evil. It   
tried to attack me, but I managed to break the crystal at the last second with my magic."   
She took a deep breath. "I was so scared, though. I was almost…It almost…"  
  
"It's okay," Lina said supportively. She walked over and inspected the ruby.   
"Whatever it was, it's gone now."  
  
Sylphiel nodded and swallowed nervously. "Miss Lina, can we get out of here?   
This place is creepy."  
  
Lina thought about going back and getting her eternal life, but if one chamber   
contained a hostile entity, who knew what the real deal with that crazy old knight was   
about.   
  
Better not to push her luck.  
  
"Come on, Sylphiel. Let's go get something to eat."  
  
  
  
"Let me see if I got this straight," Jinnar said as he picked up the cracked ruby.   
"You…went off-mission…fell down a hole…walked in here…and found….a DARK   
LORD?"  
  
Iffy nodded sadly. "But he was right here! I swear! He called me an idiot   
floozy!!!"  
  
Jinnar arched an eyebrow. "Well at least his eyesight works…"  
  
"I'm telling you the truth, Lord God General Priest Sir! I swear! He was right   
here! I told him not to go anywhere and that I'd be right back, but I guess he got bored and   
left!"  
  
"Got bored and LEFT?" Jinnar asked sarcastically. He took a deep breath, and   
Iffy braced herself.  
  
"WHAT KIND OF FREAKING IDIOT DO YOU TAKE ME FOR?!?!?!?!" Jinnar   
screamed at her.  
  
"A loud one, Sir!" Iffy replied with a grin and a salute.  
  
"SHUT UP!!!!"  
  
Iffy flinched and bowed her head. "Yes, Master…"  
  
"ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS KILL THE PRINCESS OF SEYRUUN AND YOU   
EVEN BOTCHED THAT UP!!!"  
  
Iffy raised a finger. "Um…As long as we're on that subject, exactly WHICH   
princess am I supposed to kill?"  
  
Jinnar blinked at her. "You mean there's more than one?"  
  
Iffy nodded.  
  
The General Priest thought for several moments, then…  
  
"So kill both of them."  
  
Iffy's face lit up. "That works even BETTER!!"  
  
"Good….NOW GET TO WORK!!!"  
  
Iffy saluted. "Roger, Tac HQ! Over and out!"  
  
With that, she disappeared.  
  
Jinnar sighed and hefted the cracked ruby. "A piece of the Ruby Eye…That's   
rich…"  
  
  
  
Gourry was sitting on his bed, reading the latest issue of Swords and Swording.  
  
He looked up suddenly.  
  
He knew what this meant.  
  
He was in another one of those freaky dreams!!!  
  
Someone was tapping on his door.  
  
"Gourry?" Lina's voice called from the other side. "Gourry…please….I…I need   
you…"  
  
"Oh no," he said, shaking his head. "Not again! Not this time!" He raised his hand   
and slapped himself across the face!  
  
He woke up.  
  
The swordsman sighed in relief and smiled. Nothing weird was going to happen to   
him TONIGHT…  
  
He tried to roll over and suddenly found he couldn't. Blinking, he tried to raise his   
hands, but found them immobile!  
  
"What the…"  
  
He looked down at himself…  
  
The twenty chibi's were standing on his chest. His entire body was criss-crossed   
with ropes, tying him securely to the bed. The chibi's glared angrily at him.  
  
"…."  
  
"…"  
  
".."  
  
"."  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU  
UUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH  
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Gourry screamed.  
  
"You're not getting out of it this time, bitch!" Chibi Zelgadis told him angrily.  
  
Chibi Amelia nodded. "This time, you're going to demonstrate your love to Miss   
Lina!"  
  
"HOW THE HELL DID YOU DO THIS TO ME?! YOU'RE MY MIND!!!"  
  
"It wasn't easy getting you to tie yourself up in your sleep!" Chibi Sylphiel told   
him with a bright smile.  
  
"Or getting you to first write that note to Miss Lina either!" Chibi Amelia agreed.  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
There was a knock at the door.   
  
"Gourry?" Lina's voice came from the other side. "Are you in there? I just got   
your note…"  
  
"Don't do this to me!" Gourry hissed at the chibi's.  
  
"God! You are such a whiny little bitch!" Chibi Zelgadis remarked.  
  
One by one, the chibi's disappeared in puffs of smoke.  
  
"Gourry? Hey, are you in there?" Lina asked through the door again.  
  
"Um…" Gourry replied, struggling in his bonds. "I'm…just…um…"  
  
"Gourry, I'm coming in!"   
  
"Don't do that!" Gourry shouted back.  
  
The door opened, and Lina stepped inside.  
  
She blinked.  
  
He blinked back.  
  
Lina folded her arms over her chest. "Do I really want to know?"  
  
Gourry turned bright red in embarrassment.  
  
The redhead looked over the swordsman and started smiling. Gourry knew then   
and there that he was in trouble…  
  
Lina turned and shut the door…  
  
"Um…Lina…What are you doing?" Gourry asked.  
  
She turned back to him and took off her cape. Gourry started to sweat. He   
swallowed nervously as she undid the first couple of buttons on her blouse.  
  
"L…Lina?" he asked.  
  
The sorceress sat on the edge of the bed and adopted a girlish, innocent look.   
"Why…Gourry dear!" she cried in mock amazement. "Whatever are you doing?!"  
  
"Lina?"  
  
She turned her grin on him and rested her hands on his chest.  
  
"Could you…you know…untie me?"  
  
Her grin turned evil. "You know, Gourry…It's a seller's market. You want out of   
those ropes. What'll you give me in return?"  
  
He turned red again. "Um…How about…er…"  
  
She leaned forward and kissed him softly. "Gourry," she whispered, "I don't know   
if you were just waiting for the right time or just didn't know…But I don't want to wait   
anymore."  
  
Gourry swallowed nervously.  
  
"If I untie you…will you stay with me tonight?"  
  
Gourry felt her hands pressed against his chest and the weight of her body against   
his. He could smell the spicy scent of her hair and could still feel the feather touch of her   
lips against his from only a moment ago.  
  
He looked into her ruby red eyes and nodded. "I guess…"  
  
Lina's eyebrow twitched. "You….GUESS?!"  
  
"I mean! Yes! Yes! Oh, dear Cepheid, Lina, stay with me tonight! Please! I need   
you!"  
  
She giggled and kissed him again. "Okay…I'll stay…I guess…"  
  
  
  
Zelgadis looked up as Sylphiel entered their room. "Oi, Syl chan," he greeted.   
"Where've you been? Amelia said something about Lina breaking out of prison. If she's   
hiding, you can tell her that Naga's already begged Phil to pardon her."  
  
Sylphiel smiled. "It's okay, Zelgadis dear. We met Amelia in the hall."  
  
"Oh," the chimera replied. "Well, at least now the city's safe…" He sat back   
down on the bed.  
  
The shrine maiden sat down next to him and took his hand. "Zelgadis dear," she   
began, "I need to talk to you about something very important." She smiled at him and   
squeezed his hand gently.  
  
"Is something wrong?"  
  
Sylphiel took a deep breath. "It really depends on how you look at it," she   
explained. "I'll tell you…but you have to promise to let me explain it all before you react,   
okay?"  
  
He turned toward her and squeezed her hand back. "Of course. What is it?"  
  
She took another breath, not sure as to how to begin. "I know there's no easy way   
to say it," she told him. "It's just so…Well…I mean…"  
  
"Syl chan," he said with a smile. "You can tell me anything. I promise."  
  
She smiled at him. "I know. I'm just trying to find the best way to word it."   
Another deep breath. "I guess…the easiest way is to tell you straight out…"  
  
Zelgadis blinked, but waited for her to continue.  
  
Sylphiel smiled and leaned over until her lips were only an inch from his ear. He   
could feel her warm breath against his earlobe as she spoke a single sentence to him…  
  
"Do exactly as I say, or I'll kill your woman right here in front of you."   
  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
  
Kudos to those who caught the Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Terror at Thirty   
Thousand Feet references. ^_^ I'd like to thank all my prereaders including Cav, Fish,   
Will, and Sethra. You guys are great.  



	21. Baby Boom! Unplanned Parenthood!

Slayers is the property of Kadokawa Shoten.  
  
FILIA: You know, I sometimes wonder what kind of mother I'll be. I mean, with Little   
Val chan on the way, I have to be ready…  
  
SHADOW LINA: I'm sure you'll be great, Miss Dragon Lady!  
  
XELLOS: Of course she will! (Hands Filia a book.)  
  
FILIA: What's this? (Reads the cover) "Parenting for Complete Morons?"  
  
XELLOS: ^_^  
  
FILIA: CHAOTIC DISINTEGRATE!!!  
  
  
Faces: After  
Part 21  
Baby Boom!  
Unplanned Parenthood!  
  
  
  
  
  
There are certain sounds associated with the rising of the sun. The most prominent   
of these is the sweet music of the birds as they search for food to bring back to their nested   
young. On the opposite side of that spectrum in the list of sounds one normally NEVER   
hears with the coming of the dawn, there is the sound that Naga the White Serpent awoke to   
that morning…  
  
"I GOT FILIA CHAN'S PAN-TIES! I GOT FILIA CHAN'S PAN-TIES!!!   
WHOO!!! WHOO!!! WHOO!!!"  
  
Naga's head shot up, her eyes blinking away the morning light. The first thing that   
caught her eye was her Side-Kick of Questionable Worth, wearing a towel on his head tied   
under his nose, running across their small camp, waving a pair of frilly, white, women's   
underwear over his head.  
  
"GIVE THOSE BACK, YOU HORRIBBLE, DISGUSTING NAMAGOMI!!!"  
  
The second thing she saw was her Deus Ex Machina running right after him, her   
mace held high over her head.  
  
"I'M THE KING OF THE WORLD!!! WHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Xellos cried   
out as he ran past the White Serpent again, the dragon's underwear hanging from the head   
of his staff as he waved it like a flag.  
  
"I'LL KILL YOU, YOU PERVERT!!!" Filia screamed, coming to a stop and   
pointing her hands at him. "CHAOTIC DISINTEGRATE!!!!!!!!!"  
  
A loud explosion wiped away any remaining sleep in Naga's brain. So began   
another morning as a Flaming Hero. Rising to her feet, she made her way to where the rest   
of the group was sitting, eating whatever frugal breakfast Amara and Shadow Lina could   
prepare. They seemed to take little notice of the Mazoku and the Ryuuzoku's antics. All   
except for Vanya, who was staring at them in frank disbelief.  
  
"MISSED ME, FILIA CHAN! MISSED ME!"  
  
"DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
"Aren't you going to stop them?!" Vanya demanded as Naga yawned. Jeffrey   
handed her a cup of warm tea, and she drank it in one swallow.   
  
"Nah, they'll tire out eventually," Naga replied with a wave of her hand.  
  
Another explosion from the other side of camp caused a shockwave to crash into   
them, whipping their hair and capes around them.  
  
"More tea, Miss Naga?" Amara offered with a smile.  
  
"Thank you, Deus Ex Machina Part Deux!" Naga said and took another cup of tea.  
  
"MISSED ME AGAIN, FILIA CHAN!!"  
  
"They're going to destroy the entire camp!" Vanya argued.  
  
"You mustn't be alarmed, Miss Greysword," Amara told her gently. "I assure you,   
to the Mazoku this kind of behavior is quite common among their couples. Stirring rage in   
one's mate is the equivalent of…oh…how do you say it?"  
  
"Foreplay," Naga supplied.  
  
There was another explosion, and this time a tree cracked as it fell near where the   
other Flaming Heroes were sitting. Only Vanya flinched.  
  
"Yes," Amara said with a slight blush. "It appears that Lord Xellos is attempting   
to…um…entice my sister…"  
  
"Think it'll work?" Jeffrey asked.  
  
"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!!!!"  
  
"Looking good so far," Amara said with a shrug.  
  
"Vanya, dear," Naga began, looking over her teacup at her newest employee.   
"Now that we're all up and fresh, I would like to discuss with you your secondary   
duties…"  
  
Vanya was too busy staring at Xellos and Filia to notice.  
  
"Vanya!"  
  
"They're going to end up destroying an entire town!" the swordswoman exclaimed.   
  
Before Naga could rebut, Xellos came crashing right through the center of the   
group. He buried his staff into the ground, the underwear flapping in the breeze. Stepping   
back, he saluted smartly and began to sing.  
  
"Send her vic-to-rious! Hap-py and glo-rious! Long may she reign oooo-ver us!   
Goooood saaa-ve…theeee….Quuuueeeeeeeennnn!!!"  
  
As his song ended, he was struck on the back of the head with a mace. He hit the   
dirt at the base of the makeshift flagpole and turned onto his back. Filia was glaring down   
at him, snorting like an angry bull. She lifted her mace over her head…  
  
"Okay! Enough!" Naga cried, rising to her feet. "It appears that as long as you   
two are fighting, Vanya here is not going to be able to listen, so I'm going to split you up!"  
  
"Awww!" Xellos whined.  
  
"THANK YOU, MISS NAGA! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!"  
  
Naga crossed her arms over her chest and smirked. "When personality conflicts   
erupt between employees, it is MY responsibility to solve them. Filia, Amara, why don't   
you do some CAP for a few hours?"  
  
The two dragons blinked. "Um…CAP?" Amara asked.  
  
"You know…Combat Air Patrol…"  
  
The dragons looked to one another and shrugged.  
  
Naga sighed and looked at the sky. "Will I EVER be understood in my own time!?"   
She pointed at the dragons. "Just fly out ahead and scout around!"  
  
"Why didn't you just SAY that, instead of…" Filia began.  
  
"Or you can stay here with Xellos and…"  
  
"COME ON, AMARA!!" Filia cried, grabbing her sister's arm. With an "EEP!"   
the elder dragon was pulled away by the younger.  
  
"Perhaps I should go with them and…" Xellos began.  
  
"Side-Kick," Naga began, "I have another job for you. I want you to start thinking   
up the best way to break into the Seyruun Palace unnoticed."  
  
Xellos blinked. He thought for a few seconds. "Done! Now I'll just go see if Filia   
chan needs any help…"  
  
"Mister Xellos," Shadow Lina spoke up, "Maybe you should give Miss Dragon   
Lady time alone."  
  
"She doesn't need time alone, Lina chan!" Xellos said with a pat of the redhead's   
red head. "What she needs is a good, long…"  
  
Shadow Lina turned bright red!  
  
"…flight," Xellos finished. He snickered and walked off.  
  
"Hey, Lina," Jeffrey said with a blink. "Why are you blushing?"   
  
"No reason!" she cried back.  
  
"Anyway!" Naga cried, trying to get hold of her own band of heroes again.   
"Vanya, as part of your duties, you have to perform a single, simple, almost mundane   
task…"  
  
"Like what?" Vanya asked darkly, her arms folding over her chest.  
  
Naga smiled. "You have to make our young Jeffrey a man."  
  
  
  
"That…that…horrible…disgusting…arrogant….NAMAGOMI!!" Filia shouted as   
her dragon form glided above the clouds.  
  
"Honestly, Filia chan, it's to be expected," Amara told her, flying alongside of her   
sister. "He's only doing what's natural for his kind."  
  
"Hmmph!" Filia sniffed, tossing her golden snout in the air. "Deplorable behavior!   
Even for a Mazoku!"  
  
Amara giggled to herself. "Filia likes Xel-los!" she sang.  
  
"I do not!" Filia sniffed. "You know, I don't even see how he could be attracted to   
me. Mazoku are masochists, right? Wouldn't they be attracted to abrasive, abusive,   
females who would treat them like dirt?"  
  
Amara looked at her sister, then rolled her eyes. "Yeah," she muttered, "I can't see   
what he could POSSIBLY see in you…"  
  
Filia's serpentine eyes narrowed at her sister. "Hmmph!" She turned back to   
flying. "Seriously, Amara! You're the expert! How can he be attracted to me? Is it even   
POSSIBLE for a Mazoku and Ryuuzoku to mate?"  
  
"Well, it IS unprecedented," Amara admitted. "But it all really comes down to the   
melding of astral essence."  
  
"How do you know so much about this?" Filia asked her. "I've spent years at the   
seminary learning about the Mazoku, but some of the things you claim to know I've never   
heard of before in my life."  
  
Amara smiled. "The Amalgamationists take information to heart. And there are   
other reasons. Lord Xellos is not the first Mazoku to be cast out of his clan."  
  
Filia blinked in shock. "There have been others?!"  
  
"Three that I know of," Amara said, almost offhandedly. "Death really isn't a   
punishment to the Mazoku, Filia. To die is to return to the Lord of Nightmares, so by   
simply killing one of them, you're not really doing anything bad to them. But if you cast   
them out, take away their identity, and forbid them from dying, they live in agony. The   
Mazoku we've had contact with were outcasts like this; Mazoku who were punished by   
their overlords for some crime."  
  
"And they actually spoke to you?" Filia asked.  
  
Amara laughed. "Oh no! The last one died almost four hundred years ago.   
Apparently, the overlords found out they were telling tales out of school and had them   
destroyed to prevent anymore information about them from getting out." She sighed. "They   
are VERY protective of their secrets, Filia chan."  
  
Filia rolled her eyes. "So I've heard…" She blinked as something caught her eye   
on the horizon. "Amara…What's that up there? My eyes aren't as good…."  
  
Amara looked out ahead of her. "Are those…birds of some kind?"  
  
"Let's get closer and take a look."  
  
  
  
"NO WAY!!" Shadow Lina cried as she hopped up and wrapped her arms around   
Jeffrey's throats, glaring hatefully at Naga and Vanya. "NO ONE'S GOING TO MAKE   
LORD JEFFREY A MAN BUT ME!!!" She realized what she said a second later and   
turned bright red.  
  
"Um…Could someone tell me what's going on?" Jeffrey asked.  
  
"There, there, Lord Jeffrey," Shadow Lina cooed softly. "I won't let them…"  
  
"Um," Vanya began, eye twitching, "I'm really not…"  
  
"STAY AWAY FROM HIM, YOU HUSSY!!!" Shadow Lina screamed, tightening   
her grip on Jeffrey's throat. The boy gagged and started to turn blue.  
  
"Look!" Vanya said angrily. "I don't know what kind of woman you people take   
me for, but I am NOT going to…"  
  
Naga waved the arguments aside. "Not THAT way! I just thought that since Vanya   
here happens to be a sword expert, that perhaps she'd be willing to teach Jeffrey how to   
fight."  
  
"But I can already fight, Miss Naga!" Jeffrey exclaimed, hopping to his feet and   
drawing Razor Blade. "My Mommy taught me everything I'll ever need to know about…"  
  
Naga replied by reaching out and pushing him over. Jeffrey, now firmly on his butt,   
looked up and blinked.   
  
"There!" Naga said triumphantly. "Jeffrey, Miss Josephine isn't around to save   
your as…er…back you up anymore!" She decided to try a different tactic. "Think of it as   
learning a new form of combat! This way, you'll be twice as deadly for knowing two   
sword methods instead of just one!"  
  
Jeffrey brightened at this. "I suppose I COULD use the extra training…"  
  
"No, Lord Jeffrey! Please!" Shadow Lina cried. "I've seen the way she looks at   
you!"  
  
"Excuse ME?!" Vanya cried indignantly.  
  
"Then it's decided!" Naga announced.   
"OOOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!!"  
  
  
  
"What do you see?" Filia asked Amara as they flew ever closer to the disturbance   
up ahead.  
  
Amara blinked. "They're humans!" she announced. "In some kind of flying   
machines!"  
  
Filia arched an eyebrow. "Flying MACHINES?!"  
  
The elder dragon nodded. "From what I can make out, they have some kind of   
spinning blades on the front and above them." She squinted. "There's two humans in each   
one. The one in front is pedaling…"  
  
Filia shook her head. "Humans flying…Great, that's all we dragons need…"  
  
Amara was blinking at the sight before her. "Oh dear Cepheid!"  
  
  
  
Villzka looked up at his mother fearfully. For some reason, his mother couldn't fly   
them to safety like she said they would. They were trapped on the hard ground. Looking at   
the Avian's golden-brown wings, it was obvious why. Red feathers clashed with brown in   
the areas where iron arrows had struck the creature.  
  
"Mama!?" the young Avian implored. "Who are they, Mama?! Why are they doing   
this?!"  
  
The larger bird-creature shushed her baby son and stood up. "Remain here," she   
cautioned. "It will…" She broke off weakly as her wounds made themselves known again.   
Taking her son from the safety of their nest-village had been a risk, she knew, but it was   
necessary to give him his first flying lesson.  
  
She did not expect the inhabitants of the human village nearby to attack them so   
suddenly…  
  
"It will be all right," she cooed. "Remain here…"  
  
"Mama!"  
  
She heard the "whuff whuff whuff!" sounds of the human's flying machines getting   
closer and stood up, turning toward them. Drawing her light rapier, she braced herself…  
  
  
  
Amara grit her teeth. "Those…those…"  
  
Filia blinked at her sister. "What is it?"  
  
"They…They gunned her down…Right there in front of that child!" Amara was   
growling now. "Those…Those……Those……………………NAMAGOMI!!!!"  
  
Filia turned back to the scene ahead of them. Now that they were closer, she could   
see the situation more clearly.  
  
The humans were turning their machines around for another pass.  
  
She blinked and grit her teeth. "They're going to go for that poor child!"  
  
"Oh no they're not," Amara growled. With a hard flap of her wings, she shot   
forward.  
  
"Wait for me, Amara!" Filia called after her as she followed.  
  
  
  
Villzka pushed his mother's wing off of him and stood up. "Mama?"   
  
The elder Avian didn't move, her sharp eyes closed to the world.  
  
"Mama?" the child asked, his eyes tearing up. He reached out to touch her feathers   
as a tear ran down his beak. "Mama?"  
  
He turned as he heard something approaching. At first he thought it was the humans   
again, but no…Their machines made a different sound. This was more like the sound of a   
whistle as a dart flew threw the air. He looked up.  
  
Two golden darts were approaching. In a second they were passing over him, the   
wind of their passage nearly knocking him down. He turned and watched as they flew off   
in the direction the humans had gone…  
  
  
  
The humans flying the wooden flying machines didn't even notice the two dragons   
behind them until they shot past them at near the speed of sound, the wind from their   
passing nearly knocking them from the sky. As it was, it took quite a bit to keep the   
machines from plunging to the ground.  
  
The pilots watched incredulously as the dragons turned to make another pass.  
  
"They don't look so tough now!" Amara cheered.  
  
"They're splitting up!" Filia warned.  
  
"I got the one on the left!" the elder dragon told her.  
  
"I got the right!" Filia agreed.  
  
The two dragons split off after their chosen targets. Filia glided easily behind one   
of the human-made flying craft and watched as the pilot tried to get speed by diving   
towards the ground. Filia followed easily and smirked at the pilot's attempts to evade her.   
Pulling up, she followed them into a nearby cloudbank…  
  
The pilot of the other craft looked about fearfully, not seeing any sign of the dragon   
with the purple bow on her tail…  
  
Not until she dropped out of nowhere behind him, flapping her wings angrily.  
  
The pilot shrieked and started pedaling faster. In the back seat, his loader was   
screaming at him to go faster. Amara watched in disgust. Apparently, these humans were   
only brave enough to fight injured Avians and children.  
  
She'd show them what flying REALLY was!  
  
The pilot dived hard for the ground, trying to pick up speed. Amara turned on her   
back and started for the Earth, herself, the wind screaming past her wings. During her   
dive, the human managed to get his nose pointed at her. She heard something whistling past   
her ear and realized they were shooting darts at her. She growled.  
  
"No more playing," she muttered.   
  
Meanwhile, Filia's prey had cleared the clouds. The pilot looked around, hoping   
he had lost the pink-bowed serpent. Only to see it break from the clouds behind him. The   
loader in the back seat picked up a crossbow and aimed at her…  
  
Filia opened her mouth. Blue light coalesced there for a moment before streaking   
out and striking the craft.  
  
The flaming wreckage fell to the ground a few thousand feet below.  
  
The pilot of the other craft searched all around. He had lost sight of Amara in the   
sun, and had no idea where she was now. He looked down at the ground and gulped.  
  
The shadow of his craft had been swallowed by the shadow of a very large, very   
pissed off dragon.  
  
In other words, Amara was directly above him.   
  
He looked up and saw the dragon snarl at him. She flapped her wings downward   
in one hard motion. The human's craft was struck by the suddenly shot of air and spiraled   
out of control, striking the ground and smashing apart, leaving a long field of debris behind   
it.  
  
Amara sniffed and threw her snout in the air.  
  
  
  
Villzka watched fearfully as the giant serpents landed nearby. Tucking their wings   
behind their backs, there was suddenly a bright, yellow flash. The Avian child covered his   
eyes to block out the bright light, and when it dissipated, two blonde humans stood before   
him. He cringed back in fright.  
  
One of the humans, wearing a funny hat and white and pink robes held her hands out   
in front of her in a peaceful gesture. "It's okay," she said soothingly. "We won't hurt you."   
Villzka responded by cowering further away.  
  
"Poor thing," the other woman, wearing a red dress, cooed.  
  
"We won't hurt you," the woman in the funny hat repeated. "It's okay." The blonde   
bit her lip in thought. "What's your name?"  
  
The bird-child looked at her. "V…Villzka."  
  
"Hi, Villzka," the blonde in the hat said with a smile. "I'm Filia. And this is my   
sister, Amara."  
  
Villzka continued to cower.  
  
"What do you think we should do, Filia?" Amara asked. "We can't leave him here   
all alone."  
  
Filia looked at the carnage around her, at the dead female Avian lying not far away,   
and made a decision.  
  
  
  
Shadow Lina cringed sympathetically as Jeffrey was tossed through the air again,   
landing on his back near her feet. With a mighty huff, he jumped to his feet, raised his   
sword over his head, and charged back into battle. "RAZOR BLADE AWAY!!!"  
  
"Miss Naga, I don't think this was such a good idea," she whimpered at her   
employer, who was relaxing under the tree next to her.  
  
"Oh, he's fine!" Naga waved the idea aside.  
  
"STONE CLEAVE!" There was an explosion, and Jeffrey landed at Shadow   
Lina's feet amid a cloud of dust and debris.  
  
"Lord Jeffrey! Please stop!" Shadow Lina whimpered, her hands clasped before   
her. "I worry for your safety! You don't need to learn a new form of swordfighting!   
You're invincible just the way you are!"  
  
Jeffrey took a second to blink away a concussion, then smiled. "Fear not, Lina! A   
true warrior is constantly striving for fighting perfection! Besides, Miss Naga thinks this is   
a good idea…"  
  
Shadow Lina leaned over and whispered to him. "I'm not sure Miss Naga really   
knows what she's talking about…"  
  
"Ha! I trust Miss Naga!" Jeffrey announced, climbing to his feet. He held his   
sword over his head. "Because she TOLD me to!" He screamed and rushed Vanya again.  
  
There was another explosion, and Jeffrey went flying past her again. Shadow Lina   
sighed and sat down again. Before she could fret much more, Filia and Amara were   
approaching, gliding smoothly down to the ground.  
  
Naga looked up and saw that Filia was carrying something in her arms even as she   
transformed back into a human. "Ah! Deus Ex Machina found some treasure, I see!" She   
stood up and approached them. "What did you get? Diamonds? Gold?"  
  
"Actually," Amara began, "We found this little bird child that…"  
  
Naga gasped and fell backwards on her butt, pulling her sword and pointing it at the   
cowering Avian holding Filia's hand. "Where did you get it?!" she asked harshly.  
  
"Miss Naga!" Filia cried. "It's just a poor, helpless child! We saw a bunch of   
humans attacking him and his mother!"  
  
Shadow Lina leaned over at Villzka and smiled brightly.   
"He's….so……ADORABLE!!!" Without warning, she was hugging the Avian.  
  
"Oh, sure!" Naga cried, her sword still pointing at the bird. "When they're little,   
it's 'Aww, how cute!' But then they grow up into eight foot killing machines! Then there's   
running…and screaming….and all manners of hell!"  
  
"You're being stupid!" Filia told her in irritation. "He's just a child! We're going   
to take him home before moving on."  
  
"Oh, is that what you think?!" Naga cried. "Do you even know what these things   
are?!"  
  
"I do, Miss Naga!" Shadow Lina cried, waving her hand over her head. "It's   
CUTE!"  
  
Naga threw her Goody Two-Shoes Sorceress a withering look. "It's an AVIAN!"  
  
"What's an Avian?" Jeffrey asked, rubbing his head from Vanya's latest thrashing.  
  
Filia cried out as she felt someone pinch her backside. Turning quickly, she saw   
Xellos standing there. "An Avian, young Jeffrey, is an intelligent bird-like creature created   
by the Wind Dragon King. They're very effective soldiers. Their Alpha Males can grow   
to about eight feet tall. They eat fresh meat…like you," he noted with a grin, "And are   
generally unpleasant."  
  
"Side Kick of Questionable Worth and I ran into a bunch of them on Zarak Tor,"   
Naga explained. "They were most certainly NOT cute."  
  
"Which might explain why humans would be attacking them," Xellos pointed out.  
  
"Well what do you suggest we do?" Filia snapped. "I promised Villzka I'd take   
him home!"  
  
"Woah! Wait a second!" Vanya exclaimed, giving the time out sign. "We don't   
have time for a tangent! We're on our way to Seyruun!"  
  
"It's a just a little child!" Amara argued.  
  
"Yes!" Naga agreed loudly. "A little child with older brothers and sisters that I   
might have met once while they tried to tear my entrails out with their beaks! Forget it!   
You can drop it off at the next town if you like, but we're not going to just walk into one of   
their nests, say 'Hi, there! Some of our fellow humans were butchering this poor little   
Avian so we brought him here,' and let them eat us!"  
  
"We should split up!"  
  
Everyone turned to Jeffrey, the source of the suggestion.  
  
"I'm sorry, Swordsman of Dubious Skill," Naga began, "But what was that?"  
  
"Well, Miss Naga, it just seems to me that the big concern here is that Avians eat   
humans. Well…Miss Filia and Miss Amara are dragons, not humans. Um…don't dragons   
and Avians follow the same gods or something?"  
  
The group went silent.  
  
"You know," Filia said, her finger to her lip in thought, "As I recall, the Fire   
Dragon King and the Wind Dragon King WERE on good terms…"  
  
"And the Amalgamationists embrace ALL creatures!" Amara agreed.  
  
"And Mazoku hate everyone equally!" Xellos said with a bright smile.  
  
Filia's eyes narrowed. "Just what are you thinking?"  
  
Xellos grinned. "Well…I'm not human either, Filia chan…Remember?"  
  
"How can I forget?" Filia ground out. "I've never met anyone as INHUMAN as   
you…"  
  
"Then it's settled!" Naga announced. "My dragons and my sidekick will go return   
the Avian to its nest, and the rest of us will head to Seyruun! What a wonderful plan I've   
come up with! I am a genius! OOOOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!   
OOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!"  
  
Villzka clutched at Filia's leg. "Make it stop, Dragon Oneechan! Please make it   
stop!!"  
  
"OOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!"  
  
  
  
"I still don't get it," Filia remarked as the four of them walked down their chosen   
road. "Why don't we just fly there?"  
  
Xellos wagged a finger at her. "Patience, Filia chan, patience! Eventually,   
someone is going to come looking for those humans you and Miss Amara dispatched, then   
they're going to start looking for whoever destroyed them. Three traveling clerics   
escorting a small child draw much less attention than two golden dragons and a Mazoku."  
  
"I just hope Miss Naga and the others don't get so far ahead that we never find them   
again," Amara fretted.  
  
"Yeah, that would be horrible," Filia muttered, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Dragon Oneechan?"  
  
Filia looked down at Villzka, who was disguised in a brown cloak and hood to   
hide his feathers and beak. He was holding the dragon priestess' hand as he looked up at   
her.  
  
"I'm hungry."  
  
The dragon blinked and put her finger to her lip in thought. "I guess we can stop for   
lunch." She smiled at the bird. "What would you like, Villzka? How about some fish?"  
  
Villzka nodded.  
  
Several minutes later, seated around a campfire, Filia put the child into her lap and   
held up a blackened piece of fish. "Yum yums!"  
  
The Avian child eyed the meat with disgust and started squirming in Filia's arms.   
  
"Come on," she prompted, holding him tighter. "Mmmmm! Yums!"  
  
"Um….Filia chan…" Xellos began, raising a finger.  
  
"Shhh! I'm trying to get him to eat!" she chastised the Mazoku quietly.  
  
"Er…But Filia chan…."  
  
"Hush!" She turned her attention back to Villzka, who was still trying to squirm   
away. "Oh, what's wrong, little one?!" Filia asked in exasperation. "You said you were   
hungry!"  
  
"It's icky!" Villzka cried out.  
  
"Filia chan…"  
  
"Oh, dammit! What do you want?!" Filia asked Xellos angrily.  
  
The priest smiled. "I just thought you'd like to know that Avians can't eat cooked   
meat. It makes them sick."  
  
The dragon sweatdropped as she glowered at Xellos. "Well why didn't you SAY   
that?" she bit out between clenched teeth.  
  
Xellos shrugged. "I guess I'm just slow…"  
  
She growled but reigned herself in. Looking down at Villzka, she smiled. "So   
what WOULD you like, Villzka chan?"  
  
"How about one of these!?" Xellos asked, wagging a raw and very much alive   
mackerel under Filia's nose. The golden dragon turned green and tried to scoot away, but   
Xellos followed, keeping the wiggling fish right in her face. Finally Villzka grabbed it   
with both talons.  
  
"Thank you, Xellos Niichan!" Villzka cried before tearing into the fish's stomach   
with his beak. Fish entrails and blood squirted all over Filia's dress, and the dragon   
turned an even deeper shade of green.  
  
"Enjoy, Villzka chan!" Xellos replied with a smile.  
  
Sitting on the other side of the fire, Amara clasped her hands together in delight.   
"How cute! Just like a real family!"  
  
Filia couldn't take it anymore and suddenly put the Avian off her lap onto the   
ground. She ran around a nearby tree and started to vomit.  
  
The others listened as sounds of torment came from the other side of the tree.   
Amara looked at Xellos sympathetically. "I'm sure it was the fish that did that, Lord   
Xellos."  
  
Xellos grinned. "I'm sure it was…"  
  
  
  
"Um…Miss Greysword?" Shadow Lina began quietly as the four of them walked   
down the road. "Um…I don't want to interfere or anything, but isn't making Lord Jeffrey   
carry a bag of rocks with him a little too much?"  
  
Vanya crossed her arms over her chest and smirked. "If he wants to learn the Ishi-  
Ryu technique, he has to go through the same training I did!"  
  
"Ishi-Ryu?" Shadow Lina asked.  
  
The swordswoman nodded. "When I left my village six years ago, I had no idea   
where to start looking for my brother, so I wandered aimlessly. During my travels, I was   
set upon by a group of bandits."  
  
"Oh dear!" Shadow Lina squeaked.  
  
"Before they could take what little money I had, a woman jumped from the trees   
and attacked them." She looked down at Shadow Lina. "In a few seconds, it was all   
over."  
  
"Wow!"  
  
"The woman was a member of a women's secret society connected to the Shrine   
Maidens of Femille…The Order of the Royal Teardrop."  
  
"Oh yeah! I've heard of them! They're some kind of ninja band, aren't they?"  
  
Vanya sweatdropped. "Something like that. Anyway, she took me under her wing   
and taught me to fight in the Ishi-Ryu style. I still had to search for my brother, though, so I   
ended up cutting my training short. When I left, she gave me this katana." She held up the   
sword and scabbard.   
  
"Oh…"  
  
"I don't mind teaching the boy a few of the basics," she told Shadow Lina.   
"Cepheid knows he could use it. But that doesn't excuse him from the same stuff I went   
through."  
  
Shadow Lina looked back over her shoulder at Jeffrey, whose pack was laden   
down with two large stones as he huffed and puffed down the trail. He looked about ready   
to keel over.   
  
"But what if it's too much?" the shadow asked.  
  
Vanya shrugged. "If he dies, then at least my former master will be comforted by   
the knowledge that the Ishi-Ryu form was not passed onto someone unworthy of it."  
  
"That's…um…very comforting…" Shadow Lina replied worriedly.  
  
  
  
"Awww! Filia chan, are you still pouting?" Xellos asked as he flashed into   
existence alongside the dragon priestess.  
  
Marching down the road, Filia looked away and sniffed.  
  
Xellos grinned mischievously. "It's not my fault Villzka likes me more."  
  
"HA!" Filia laughed. "As if ANYONE could like YOU!"  
  
"To be honest, I find the notion rather farfetched, myself," Xellos confessed.   
  
"Hmmph!"  
  
"Oh, don't be like this, Filia chan!" Xellos teased with a poke from his finger. "I   
brought you a present."  
  
Filia blinked. "A present?"  
  
Xellos reached into his robes and pulled out a small vase. It was made of white   
marble and encrusted with emeralds. It looked ancient, but in excellent condition. Filia's   
eyes went wide and sparkled at the sight.  
  
"I know you have a fondness for antiques, Filia chan," Xellos went on as he rolled   
the vase up and down his arms like a basketball. "So I picked this up for you."  
  
"It…It's beautiful," she remarked quietly.  
  
The priest spun it on his finger for a moment before offering it to her. Filia reached   
out and took the item, blushing just a little.   
  
"Thank you, Xellos." (Perhaps he CAN be thoughtful and kind,) she thought to   
herself. "Where did you get it?"  
  
Xellos smiled proudly. "The Atlas City Museum of Art History," he announced.  
  
Filia facefaulted. "You STOLE it?!"  
  
"That's a problem?" he asked curiously.  
  
"YES, IT'S A PROBLEM!" Filia screamed at him. "You just can't take something   
that doesn't belong to you!"  
  
Xellos waggled a finger back and forth in front of her. "Ah! But the fact that that   
vase is in your hands PROVES that I CAN take something that doesn't belong to me!"  
  
"You see?!" she demanded, throwing the vase back at him. "You see?! THIS is   
why I hate you! You don't care about anyone's feelings but your own! It's just like what   
happened this morning! You embarrassed me like that for your own amusement!"  
  
"Hmmph! It's not my fault if you refuse to acknowledge that you don't know   
everything!" Xellos shot back.  
  
Filia's cheeks began to redden and puff out in anger as her tail made an appearance.   
"I don't think I know everything! I just know more than YOU!"  
  
"Oh, that's mature!" Xellos bit out.  
  
"NOW YOU'RE CALLING ME IMMATURE!? YOU'RE THE IMMATURE   
ONE!"  
  
"I KNOW YOU ARE, BUT WHAT AM I?!" the Mazoku fired back. He stuck his   
tongue out at the dragon.  
  
"HMMPH!" Filia sniffed. "As if a MAZOKU could take care of a child! I   
wouldn't trust you to take care of a goldfish!" She reached out and gave him a push.  
  
"HA! Seeing the number you did on Villzka's lunch, you have quite the nerve to   
talk about who is and isn't qualified to take care of FISH!" He pushed back.  
  
"MAZOKU HAVE NO PLACE TAKING CARE OF CHILDREN!" Another push.   
Growling, she threw her nose into the air. "Why ARE you here, anyway?"  
  
"SOMEONE has to make sure you don't accidentally kill the boy," Xellos told her   
haughtily. "The way dragons raise their young is pathetic!"  
  
"Pathetic?!"  
  
Xellos nodded smugly. "The way you BABY them for eons…No wonder the   
Ryuuzoku are such a weak race!"  
  
Filia was practically burning in rage. "And I suppose the Mazoku just fling their   
young into the astral plane the second they're born and forget they exist!"  
  
"We TEACH them to SURVIVE!"  
  
"We teach OUR young to LIVE!" Filia shot back.  
  
"Excuse me," Amara broke in. The two looked to her and blinked. "But are you   
teaching Villzka how to hide? Because I can't find him." She laughed nervously.  
  
"WHAT?!" Filia cried. "YOU LET HIM OUT OF YOUR SIGHT?!"  
  
"Um…Filia chan," Xellos broke in. "Wasn't he holding YOUR hand?"  
  
The dragon looked down at her hand and shrieked as she realized Xellos was right.   
SHE had lost him! She turned and started shouting into the trees. "VILLZKA!!   
VILLZKA!"  
  
"Yareyare…" Xellos said with a shake of his head.  
  
"Oh!" Filia cried, falling to her knees. "What kind of parent am I?! Letting a   
young child wander off alone!"  
  
"Um…Perhaps we should place the emphasis on FINDING Villzka?" Amara   
suggested.  
  
"Right!" Filia declared, jumping back to her feet. "Split up!" With that, the golden   
dragon darted off into the woods.  
  
  
  
Villzka stumbled down a path, looking about fearfully. He wasn't quite sure what   
had happened. Dragon Oneechan was angry at Xellos Niichan and was yelling quite a bit.   
He didn't like it when adults fought. It scared him, so he decided to find Amara Oneechan.   
Except that by that time, Amara was already ahead of everyone else when he THOUGHT   
she was walking behind them.  
  
Bottomline: He was lost, and on the ground no less!  
  
Avian children were taught stories about the ground. It was a scary place where   
anything could happen. There were monsters, and Mazoku, and HUMANS! They were the   
scariest of all!  
  
Tears welled up in the boy's eyes. He didn't like this place. Not one bit. The   
sounds of sobbing must have sounded like appealing to something, though, because the   
child tensed a moment later as he heard a growl behind him.  
  
Turning, Villzka blinked and gasped in fear. Whining quietly, he started backing   
away from the wild dog that had snuck up on him. The animal stood almost as tall as him.   
Drool dripped from its jowls as he approached the Avian. Villzka whimpered and   
continued backing up until his back hit a boulder. There was nowhere to run.  
  
He heard something to his left and turned his head to see a black-robed figure   
appear not too far away.   
  
"Xellos Niichan!" Villzka cried out happily. He was saved!  
  
Xellos' violet eyes took in the situation. He smiled gently, and Villzka was sure   
that he would be okay. Xellos Niichan would save him.  
  
Instead of blasting the wild dog, however, Xellos knelt to the floor and picked up a   
large stick that had been lying nearby. With one gentle swing, he tossed the broken branch   
at Villzka, watching as it landed at the Avian's feet.  
  
Villzka blinked and looked up at Xellos, still waiting for the priest to do something   
to help him. Xellos responded by taking his own staff, and striking a nearby tree with it,   
causing a loud *CRACK!*  
  
The Avian stood there, rooted in fear. Xellos struck the tree again and looked at   
the bird child expectantly.  
  
Tears ran down the child's face. Suddenly, the dog started barking and charged the   
Avian. Villzka screamed and covered his face. There was a flash of darkness, and Xellos   
was there! He took the child in his arms and disappeared with him, reappearing behind the   
dog, which was now searching about for the prey it had just lost. The priest   
unceremoniously dumped Villzka to the ground, dropped the stick at his feet, and   
disappeared again, reappearing farther away.  
  
Villzka stood up, puzzled. What was Xellos Niichan doing?! Why wouldn't he   
rescue him!?  
  
Xellos seemed to read his thoughts and pointed at the stick. Then he struck a tree   
with his own staff as hard as he could. The dog was approaching the child again.   
Swallowing fearfully, Villzka reached down and picked up the stick. Holding it in both   
hands, he faced the wild dog, shaking like a leaf in the wind. He braced himself as the dog   
charged him again…  
  
He shut his eyes and raised the stick over his head…  
  
Before the dog could reach him, however, there was a bright, golden glow between   
them. Filia appeared, brandishing her mace.  
  
"BAD DOOOOOOOOOOOOOGGGGGG!!!!" she screamed as she swung. The   
mace made contact with the lunging animal and sent the whimpering dog flying into the   
stratosphere!  
  
"DRAGON ONEECHAN!" Villzka cried, dropping the stick and rushing into the   
blonde's arms, weeping fearfully.  
  
"VILLZKA!" She hugged the crying Avian to her chest and held on tight.   
  
"I was so scared, Dragon Oneechan!" Villzka wept. "I…" He looked up to see   
Filia staring at something over his shoulder, fire in her eyes.  
  
"Na…" she bit out. "Ma…Go…MI!!!"  
  
"Filia chan! You ruined everything!" Xellos replied, walking up to the two of   
them.   
  
The dragon screamed and swung her mace at the Mazoku, who disappeared and   
reappeared behind her again, looking somewhat annoyed with her.   
  
"How COULD YOU?!" she asked him in obvious horror. "I knew you were a   
monster! But to torment a CHILD like that!"  
  
"Torment?" Xellos asked curiously. "He's an Avian. He's going to have to learn   
to kill SOMETIME. Especially with his mother gone."  
  
"You cruel…horrible beast," she whispered. She took Villzka's hand and started   
marching away. "Come along, Villzka!"  
  
Xellos shook his head and sighed. "Yareyare…"  
  
  
  
"I think you're BOTH acting stupid!"  
  
Filia blinked in shock and actually took a step back. She had gone to Amara   
expecting her to realize just how horrible Xellos really was. Instead…  
  
"I can't believe you would take his side in this," she whispered.  
  
Amara didn't stop walking as she answered. "I'm NOT taking his 'side,' Filia. I   
think you're both stupid! First of all, he's being stupid for subjecting such a young boy to   
such a lesson!"  
  
"LESSON?! It was nothing less than toying with a rabbit thrown into a snake pit!"  
  
Amara ignored her. "And YOU are being stupid for making such assumptions. I'm   
sure Xellos was just trying to TEACH young Villzka how to defend himself…"  
  
"A very astute observation, Amara chan!" Xellos announced, appearing on the   
other side of the dragon from Filia.   
  
Amara stopped and turned to him, snarling. With one quick movement, her hand   
flew to her dress and lifted the skirt! Grabbing the coiled whip that rode her thigh, she   
cracked it once!  
  
Xellos actually hit the ground on his rear. He blinked and gingerly touched the end   
of his nose where Amara's whip had nipped him. The priest looked up at her.  
  
"It was stupid of you to subject such a young Avian to that kind of lesson!" she   
lectured him. "It's OBVIOUS that his muscles haven't developed to the point where he'd   
even have a CHANCE against a dog! Even with you standing right there, it was dangerous   
and foolhardy!"  
  
Filia beamed at Xellos from over her sister's shoulder. "Exactly my point!" she   
declared. A second later, Amara's glare was turned on her…  
  
*whi-CRACK!*  
  
"ITAI!" Filia cried, rubbing her bottom with her hands.   
  
Amara coiled her whip and hmmph'd. "And YOU, young lady…As dangerous as   
his lesson might have been, you had no right to interfere! The only thing you taught Villzka   
chan today was that he'll never have to fight his own battles."  
  
Filia looked up at her sister in shock. "Amara Oneechan!"  
  
"QUIET!" The priestess and the priest hung their heads. "Now both of you   
apologize to one another!"  
  
Filia looked ready to have a heart attack. "But, Amar…"  
  
"DO IT!"  
  
The dragon priestess sighed. "I'm sorry, Xellos…" she murmured.  
  
Xellos grinned. "Apology ac…"  
  
"You too," Amara growled, glaring at him.  
  
The Mazoku scratched his head. "Well…If it'll help keep the peace…I apologize,   
Filia chan."  
  
Amara smiled happily. "Good! Now we can all be one big happy family again!"   
She turned and took Villzka's hand. "Come along, my little eagle. Let's go catch some   
dinner." Villzka just blinked at the two chastised demi-gods and followed Amara.  
  
"Filia chan," Xellos began.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Let's not piss off your sister again if at all possible, ne?"  
  
Filia nodded her head and agreement and started to follow them.  
  
  
  
The bandit leader hefted his wooden club and sneered down at the young woman   
holding a broken branch up as if ready to fight the entire gang herself. Her dress was torn   
and her face bloody, but she still held a look of frank determination in her eyes.  
  
"Well, girly, ready to give up?" the bandit leader asked with a chuckle.  
  
The woman looked at him and bit out the only reply she knew suitable for a request   
like that.  
  
"Fuck you."  
  
The rest of the gang laughed, and the bandit leader stepped forward. "Well, if you   
really WANT to…" he chuckled.  
  
The woman raised the branch over her head, but before either of them could swing,   
there was movement from above, something purple was flying over them.  
  
"STONE CLEAVE!"  
  
The object landed in front of the bandit leader and swung her sword at the ground.   
An explosion at the point where the steel met the earth flew up and engulfed the entire   
bandit gang in a cloud of smoke, dust, and debris. The bandits screamed and covered their   
eyes. A second later, two members of the gang who had not run or been knocked   
unconscious by the blast, rushed forward, their clubs over their heads.  
  
The purple savior swung her sword twice, but did so so fast that only the sunlight   
reflected off the blade could be seen. A second later, the tops of the bandits' clubs fell to   
the ground. Realizing just how outmatched they were, they ran.  
  
The woman looked at her savior in astonishment. She had never seen anyone move   
so fast. The woman wore some sort of dark purple body suit that hugged her form and   
provided ease of movement. Her hair matched this color and was cut short except for two   
long pony-tails that ran down the length of her body, almost to the floor. The unknown   
woman sheathed the katana she had used to dispatch the bandits and turned to her.  
  
"Are you all right, Miss?" she asked.  
  
The woman nodded quickly. "Yes…Th..thank you…"  
  
The swordswoman smiled. "Men can be such filthy creatures, ne?"  
  
The woman could only nod. "Wh..Who are you?"  
  
"My name is Aeka, from the Kingdom of Femille," the swordswoman replied.   
"And you?"  
  
The woman needed a moment before the fear had left her enough sense to think.   
"Stevanya," she replied. "Stevanya Greywords."  
  
  
  
"Miss Greysword?"  
  
Vanya shook herself from her reverie and blinked at the shadow looking up at her.   
"Huh?"  
  
"Don't you think Lord Jeffrey's held that boulder over his head long enough?"   
Shadow Lina asked, pointing at the young knight, red-faced from holding a large stone over   
his head.  
  
"Oh, jeez!" Vanya cried. "Jeffrey! Drop the rock!"  
  
The boy let the boulder fall and fell to his knees panting. Shadow Lina rushed over   
and offered him some water from his canteen.  
  
"Please, Lord Jeffrey," the shadow begged. "This isn't necessary!"  
  
"He's never gonna learn if you baby him, Lina chan!" Naga called out from where   
she was resting under a nearby tree.  
  
"Fear not, Miss Lina!" Jeffrey huffed. "What doesn't kill me…makes   
me…stronger…"  
  
"We're not trying to make you stronger," Vanya informed him. "The Ishi-Ryu was   
created for women. It stresses the natural advantages women have over men. Speed,   
agility, and of course the most important one when dealing with men…"  
  
"Which is?" Naga asked.  
  
"Patience."  
  
"So, in essence," Naga noted, "You're teaching Jeffrey to fight like a girl." She   
grinned.  
  
"WHAT?!" Jeffrey cried out incredulously.  
  
"I suppose that's one way of looking at it," Vanya confessed.  
  
Before Jeffrey could continue his protests at being taught a "womanly form of   
fighting," there was a strange buzz from overhead. Looking above them, they saw several   
odd machines manned by humans flying past them.  
  
"That's odd," Naga mused. "Must be those same humans Filia and Amara were   
talking about."  
  
As she said this, two of the craft circled around and landed in the grove nearby,   
depositing four men to the firm earth. They noticed Flaming Heroes gathered nearby and   
walked towards them.  
  
"You know you's women are in Stormhawk turf, right?" the one in front asked with   
a grin.  
  
"Um…I'm not a woman," Jeffrey told them, raising his hand.  
  
"Whatever. Just give us your money," the Stormhawk told them.  
  
Naga yawned and waved to Shadow Lina. "Lina chan, Jeffrey, would you stand to   
the side please?" The shadow and the knight did as she said, and suddenly, the four aerial   
bandits found themselves with nothing between them and the raven haired woman…  
  
Who happened to be pointing at them…  
  
  
  
Filia's head turned quickly as she heard the explosion. She could just make out a   
cloud of black smoke rising above the tree line. "I wonder what's going on?"  
  
Xellos appeared next to her and smiled. "If I had to guess, I'd say that our dear   
White Serpent found someone or something's manner offensive."  
  
Amara blinked and pointed at the sky in the same direction the explosion had   
occurred. "Listen! Do you hear that!?"  
  
Filia strained her senses and grimaced. "It's more of those flying machines!"  
  
"Oh?" Xellos asked, turning his eyes skyward. "Well…This IS new! Flying   
humans! It seems like only yesterday they were huddling in caves and congratulating   
themselves on creating fire."  
  
Villzka hid behind Filia's skirt and looked at the sky fearfully. "Don't worry,   
Villzka chan," Filia whispered with a smile. "We won't let them hurt you."  
  
Before the complete sentence was out of her mouth, ten of the flying machines were   
circling overhead while three of them were landing nearby. Filia pulled her mace from its   
garter, and Amara did the same with Whip chan. Xellos only smiled annoyingly.  
  
Six men approached them. Filia saw one of them point at Villzka with the blade of   
his short sword and tensed.   
  
"Well, well, well," one of the men remarked as they approached. "Looks like you   
folks got yourselves a turkey dinner there!" The rest of the men laughed. "Why don't you   
hand him over to us? Along with your money…"  
  
"Hmmph!" Filia sniffed. "What could coarse trash like yourself possibly want   
with a baby Avian?"  
  
"We get a lot of problems from the birds around here, lady," the man told her in a   
growl. "If we had one of their kids, though…They'd have to lay off…"  
  
Filia smiled. "Oh! Well, in THAT case…Xellos, could you stand aside please?   
Thank you…"  
  
The men suddenly found themselves with nothing between them and the priestess…  
  
Who was opening her mouth really wide for some reason…  
  
  
  
Shadow Lina looked up from gathering bandit purses as the rumble from a distant   
explosion shook the earth beneath her. She blinked and saw a cloud of black smoke rising   
from the direction the Stormhawk gang had gone.  
  
"I wonder what's going on over there," she murmured.  
  
"Knowing those three, I'm sure it's Filia catching Xellos with her underwear on his   
head again," Naga commented as she looked over one of the three flying machines.  
  
Shadow Lina nodded and went back to filching purses.  
  
  
  
Two of the flying machines dived down at the four of them, preparing to strafe them   
with crossbow darts, when suddenly Xellos appeared in the air before them. He smiled   
and pointed his hand at them, then snapped his fingers once.  
  
"Break."  
  
Suddenly, it seemed that every nut, bolt, and screw on the flying machines had come   
undone. The pilots screamed as they and their craft fell from the sky in pieces.  
  
"DISLASH!" he heard Filia cry out. This shout was followed by a gold stream of   
light lancing out from the forest and striking two more of the craft. In the forest below,   
Amara was holding Villzka while Filia and Xellos brought more of the craft down.  
  
Xellos appeared on the ground again next to Filia and beamed. "They're not very   
maneuverable, are they?" he asked.  
  
"No, they're not," she agreed. She turned to Amara. "Villzka, are you okay,   
sweety?"  
  
The tiny Avian nodded.  
  
"Here they come again!" Amara warned them, pointing at the sky and the flying   
machines heading their way. Filia and Xellos stepped forward, brandishing their weapons   
in preparation.  
  
"This isn't like you, Xellos," Filia commented quietly, just loud enough for the   
Mazoku to hear.  
  
"Oh?" Xellos asked, just as quietly.  
  
"Usually, you sit out the fight….Unless it's very important, anyway," Filia   
explained.  
  
"And who says this isn't important?" he asked her with a dangerous smile. "A   
Mazoku's place is beside his mate."  
  
Filia glanced his way and actually smiled. "I think that's the first admirable quality   
I've ever heard for the Mazoku."  
  
Xellos only smiled and pointed his staff at the approaching craft. The red jewel at   
the tip began to glow as it drew power straight from the Mazoku wielding it.  
  
Before he could fire, however, something happened.  
  
Several winged creatures dived down on top of the flying machines and grasped   
onto them with iron talons! Xellos blinked. Filia gasped. They watched as more than two   
dozen full grown Avians began tearing at the flying machines with their swords, spears,   
and sometimes their bare talons. The human pilots were torn from their seats and ripped to   
shreds, their bodies thrown from the craft to the ground below.  
  
"Sweet Cepheid," Filia whispered as she watched it.   
  
"I think we have a more pressing problem," Xellos noted, raising his staff again.   
Several of the Avians had flown to where they were standing and were landing all around   
them, their weapons, many of them bloodied, drawn and pointed in their direction.  
  
One of them, much taller than the others, landed before them and folded its wings   
behind its back. It approached slowly.  
  
"Uncle Et'sk!" Villzka cried, rushing to the larger bird. The Avian Alpha hugged   
the child to his breast.  
  
"We thought we had lost you, child," he told the boy. He looked up at Xellos,   
Filia, and Amara, and his eyes narrowed. "You," he said. "You're not like the other   
humans…"  
  
"Um…yes, well," Filia began, "My sister and I are Golden Dragons, and this…"   
she gestured to Xellos.  
  
Xellos suddenly glomped onto Filia. "I'm her fiancé!" he announced with pride.   
Filia started growling.  
  
Et'sk arched a feathered eyebrow. "Is…that so?"  
  
"They saved me, Uncle Et'sk!" Villzka told his uncle quickly. "From the humans   
that attacked me and Mama! Dragon Oneechan shot them down!"  
  
"I see," Et'sk replied, looking to Filia, who blushed at the praise. "I thank you for   
protecting young Villzka here," he told her.   
  
"It…It was nothing," Filia told him, waving aside the praise.  
  
"When we found his mother and crossbow darts, we feared the worst," Et'sk   
informed them. "The humans in this part of the continent are ruthless."  
  
"Yes, we met some of them," Amara told him, pointing to the pile of flaming   
wreckage nearby.  
  
Et'sk blinked at the debris and turned back to them. Bowing from the waist, he   
said, "Thank you." He rose again and looked down at them. "For the service you have   
done us, you will be permitted passage through our territory unopposed. You will NOT be   
eaten," he clarified.  
  
"That's very nice of you," Xellos told him with a grin.  
  
One by one, the Avians began to fly off. Villzka ran to Filia and hugged her. "Bye,   
Dragon Oneechan!"  
  
"Good bye, Villzka chan," Filia replied, wiping a tear from her eye.  
  
The child ran up to Amara and hugged her too. "Good bye, Dragon Oneechan!" he   
said again.   
  
Amara giggled and patted his head. "Goodbye, my little eagle."  
  
Then, to Filia and Xellos' surprise, the Avian hugged the rogue Mazoku.   
"Goodbye, Xellos Niichan!"  
  
"Er…" Xellos replied, looking down at the Avian with its hands around his waist.   
"Um…There…there…" he said, patting Villzka's head. He tried to step away, but the   
Avian kept his hold on him.   
  
"Awww!" Amara cried. "Isn't that sweet?!"  
  
Filia grit her teeth silently and took a deep breath.  
  
Xellos, however, was looking rather pale from the onslaught of positive emotions   
welling up from such a gooey scene. "Could someone…please……get him off…?"  
  
  
  
"You know," Xellos remarked as they walked back in the direction of Naga's   
explosion. "For some reason, I feel this warm pit in my chest…"  
  
"That's the knowledge that you helped do a good thing, Lord Xellos," Amara told   
him with a smile. "It comes from doing good deeds!"  
  
Xellos thought on this for several seconds. "Then I shall never do a nice thing   
ever again…"  
  
Amara sweatdropped and looked over at Filia, who was walking with her head   
bowed. "Filia? What's wrong?"  
  
The dragon sighed. "I was just thinking about how I did with little Villzka   
chan….I'm going to be a horrible mother to little Val…"  
  
The older dragon blinked in astonishment. "Where is this coming from?!"  
  
"Oh, come on, Amara!" Filia cried. "I lost him, screwed up, and…and…"  
  
She felt the dragon's hand on her shoulder and found Amara smiling at her.   
"You're going to be a wonderful mother, Filia. Do you know why?"  
  
Filia sniffled and shook her head.  
  
Amara's smile broadened. "Because you care enough about being a good one to   
worry."  
  
The younger dragon sniffled, but smiled. "Thank you, Amara Oneechan."  
  
They heard a familiar buzzing and stopped in their tracks. Filia growled and drew   
her mace.  
  
"Don't they know when to quit?" she grumbled.  
  
Two of the craft appeared slowly over the tree-line, using the larger, rotating   
blades above the craft to hover. A tall figure stood up from the cockpit of one of the craft   
and posed.  
  
"Oh, good grief!" Filia muttered, resting her head in her hand.  
  
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!" Naga laughed from her   
hovering perch. "OOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!" She flashed them the victory sign.   
"Not bad, huh?!" she asked them. "Now we'll make it to Seyruun in HALF the time!   
OOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!"  
  
"You have to admire her ingenuity," Xellos remarked quietly.  
  
"OOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOO!!!"  
  
  
NAGA: And so, my band of Flam…er…invincible heroes continue on their quest to   
Seyruun! Look out, Lina Inverse! Naga the White Serpent is ON HER WAY!!   
OOOOOHOHOHOHOO!!!  
  
  
  
To Be Continued…  



	22. The Last Goodbye?! The Reinvention of a...

Slayers is the property of Kadokawa Shoten.  
  
LINA: I can't believe this crap! Did you hear what Zel just said?!  
  
AMELIA: This must be a joke…He…He couldn't have meant that…  
  
GOURRY: I missed something, didn't I? I hate it when that happens…  
  
LINA: I refuse to believe it…I refuse to believe it can end this way! ZELGADIS! GET   
YOUR ROCKY CHIMERA ASS BACK HERE!!!  
  
  
Faces: After!  
Part 22  
The Last Goodbye?!  
The Reinvention of a Monster…  
  
  
  
  
"If this is some kind of joke," Zelgadis whispered, "It's in poor taste."  
  
Sylphiel Nels Lahda, or at least what he THOUGHT was Sylphiel Nels Lahda, only   
smiled. "It's no joke, Zelgadis dear," she said. "Try anything and I assure you she'll   
know pain the likes of which no mortal on earth has ever encountered before."  
  
Zelgadis rose from the bed and started for the door.   
  
"Call for help and I'll induce an aneurysm in her brain the size of a brass racquets   
ball," she warned. He stopped in his tracks, but didn't turn. "Before we continue this   
conversation, let me just assure you of one thing. *I* am in charge."  
  
The chimera turned to face the woman, who was now standing before him, looking   
straight into him. "Who…or what…are you?" he growled out.   
  
She smiled again. "You and part of myself met once," she told him. "Albeit briefly   
and not quite as amicably as this."  
  
Zelgadis' eyes narrowed as he tried to work through the riddle.  
  
Sylphiel smiled. Her eyes flashed for a second, turning red before returning to the   
soft emerald color he knew. The chimera gasped.  
  
"Yes," she commented as she saw his change of expression. "You DO remember.   
Good. Then you know I have no qualms whatsoever about carrying out my threat. Now sit   
down," she ordered cruelly.   
  
"I prefer to stand," he ground out between clenched teeth. The woman before him   
shrugged and sat down on the edge of the bed. She smiled at him. "What do you want?"   
Zelgadis asked, trying to get to the point of things quickly and get this over with as soon as   
possible.   
  
Her smile widened. "In short, I find myself in need of your assistance, Zelgadis   
dear. This is very embarrassing," she admitted, "But it seems that my release from my   
prison was not the end of my troubles. I need you to help eliminate them."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Zelgadis asked darkly. "I know what kind of power   
you have. I've seen it up close. Why could you possibly need ME?"  
  
"I see I'm going to have to start at the beginning," Sylphiel said with a smile. She   
stood up and raised her arms over her head. She lowered her voice to a dull boom and   
announced, "IN THE BEGINNING, THE LORD OF NIGHTMARES CREATED   
HEAVEN AND EARTH!!!" She grinned and lowered her hands. "Of course, being the   
capricious woman she is, she changed her mind three seconds later and decided that   
Heaven and Earth should go back to being a small part of her mind reserved for thinking of   
dirty things. So she created us."  
  
"Get to the point," Zelgadis bit out.  
  
She smiled. "The city of Seyruun is one big giant magical seal," she reminded him.   
"Ever think to ask yourself WHAT they were sealed against?"  
  
Realization dawned on the chimera's face. "You. One of the seven pieces Cepheid   
divided you into was placed here."  
  
"Excellent," she applauded, clapping her hands together softly. "You're just as   
smart as Sylphiel makes you out to be."  
  
"Where is she?!" he growled. "I want to talk to her!"  
  
The woman frowned darkly. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves," she warned. "The   
fact of the matter is that even though I'm free…sort of…I find myself locked inside this   
city, unable to leave the seal into the outside world." She smiled. "That's where you   
come in…Zelgadis dear."  
  
"Feh!" Zelgadis spat. "I don't know what kind of information you got from   
Sylphiel, but if she really thinks I can bring down the seal around Seyruun, she's   
overestimating me."  
  
"Oh, don't worry, Zelgadis dear!" the woman waved aside his complaint.   
"Sylphiel has a high opinion of your abilities, but being the priestess she is, she realizes   
that bringing down the barrier is something best suited to others. THAT is what I need you   
for."  
  
"Get to the deal," he growled.  
  
"Due south of here…and about six hundred miles away…is Wolfpack Island." She   
looked at him. "I want you to deliver a message to Lady Xelas Metallium, a message I will   
prepare for you. Once that is done, I will have no further need of you or Miss Lahda, and   
I'll set her free."  
  
"And I'm supposed to just believe you?" Zelgadis asked.  
  
She shrugged. "No. I am not a Mazoku without a sense of fair play, Zelgadis dear.   
I believe the other piece of me you encountered before offered you and your friends eternal   
life in thanks for resurrecting him. Just because you declined the offer, doesn't make it any   
less genuine."  
  
Zelgadis said nothing.  
  
"Oh, think of this way!" she said playfully. "Do as I say and you get at least a few   
months of a stand off to try to figure out some way to rescue your woman on your own.   
Can't beat that!" The chimera was still silent. "I must warn you, however," she continued,   
"That any attempt to move against me will result in quite a bit of pain for Syl chan."  
  
"I want to talk to her."  
  
"No," she said firmly. "You don't give the orders here."  
  
"Let me talk to her," Zelgadis growled, leaning down until her face was an inch   
from his. "Or I use a Ra Tilt to separate you from her by force."  
  
The woman smiled. Suddenly, her eyes rolled back into her head and her chest   
heaved. She started shaking uncontrollably, convulsing in a violent seizure.  
  
"Sylphiel!" he gasped, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Sylphiel!"  
  
Her fists pounded against the bed as she gasped for air. If she was physically able   
to scream, Zelgadis imagined his eardrums would be bursting by now, but the only sound   
she made was a silent gasp as she continued convulsing.  
  
Zelgadis cursed inwardly and made a decision. "All right! All right, dammit! You   
win! Just stop it! Stop it!"  
  
She gasped twice more, and her breath came back to her slowly. Opening her eyes,   
she looked up at him. "Do we have a deal?"  
  
Zelgadis Greywords looked down at the Mazoku inhabiting his lover's body. The   
horror of their situation was written all over his face as he whispered,  
  
"We have a deal."  
  
  
  
A birdcage.  
  
That's what she was trapped in, believe it or not. A giant, iron birdcage, complete   
with a swing in the center, and two little compartments for food and water. However,   
Sylphiel's mind was not hungry, or thirsty, and she sure as hell didn't want to sit on the   
swing…  
  
So she sat there, her back against the bars, waiting.   
  
The shrine maiden had tried to fight him. She had tried so hard, but in the end, the   
Dark Lord had overwhelmed her, taking control of her mind and body. All that was left   
was a small piece of herself, and instead of destroying it, he had locked it away in a corner   
of her own mind where she couldn't get out. She could still see and hear, though. Looking   
out the bars of the cage had the same affect as a bird looking out at the world from its own   
prison. She could see everything going on around her.   
  
She saw how that piece of astral filth had strong-armed Zelgadis dear into helping   
him, using HER as a crowbar. But now there was nothing to see. He had ordered Zelgadis   
to sleep, telling him he needed his rest for his journey. And though the Dark Lord was a   
Mazoku, as long as he inhabited HER human body, he had to abide by its restrictions. In   
short, her body was sleeping soundly in bed, and Zelgadis was asleep on the floor next to it   
with the warning that if he made things seem out of the ordinary to the others, SHE would   
be punished.   
  
So she sat there, her head bowed, trying to think of some way to help Zelgadis dear,   
to throw off the demon holding her, but the more she thought about it, the more hopeless her   
situation seemed.  
  
"What's wrong, little bird?" she heard from all around her. "You're not singing."   
She looked up and saw a pair of red eyes appear in the darkness through the bars.  
  
Her eyes narrowed at him hatefully. "Zelgadis dear will never help you," she told   
him. "He'll die before letting YOU run loose through the world."  
  
A chuckled boomed all around her. "Zelgadis DEAR is ruled by a type of greed.   
He doesn't mind if the world burns down as long as it doesn't affect him, his cure, or you."  
  
"You're wrong," she told him spitefully. "And saying something like that just   
proves you don't really know anything about him."  
  
"I know enough, little bird," he growled. "I know he won't risk your death."  
  
"You're wrong there too," she hissed. "Zelgadis dear knows me. And he knows   
I'd rather die than let my body be used as a host by filth like you!"  
  
She was suddenly knocked to the other side of the cage, her head striking the bars   
causing her to yelp in pain. It was as if the demon's hand had struck the side of her cage in   
anger.  
  
Her hand went to her head as tears of pain ran down her cheeks. She stood up and   
steadied herself on the bars of her cage. "You know I'm right!" she cried at him.   
  
"What you think is irrelevant," he told her. "I could care less. As long as he does   
what he's told, there won't be a problem, and if he doesn't, you'll be the first to pay. Then   
him."  
  
She glared hatefully at the crimson eyes. "Do you take me for a fool?" she spat.   
"As soon as you get what you want, I'm dead anyway!"  
  
The eyes ignored her. Suddenly, a window to the outside opened up. "Time to   
wake up and face the day!" the voice boomed. A view from Sylphiel's eyes appeared   
before her as her body awoke from its slumber. Her head turned and looked down at the   
floor where Zelgadis had been sleeping.  
  
It was empty.  
  
"Now this is interesting," the voice chuckled.  
  
Sylphiel took a nervous breath. "Zelgadis dear…"  
  
  
  
Zelgadis descended the long marble staircase that lead into the palace garden   
quickly, not stopping to admire the natural beauty of the surrounding area even for a   
second. He had to move fast. He might be in a pinch, but Lina might have an idea of what   
to do, and even if she didn't, she'd be able to help out SOMEHOW.  
  
Now if he could only find her before that damn Mazoku wakes up and starts to   
suspect something…  
  
  
  
Lina was walking on air…literally. She had woken up this morning in such a state   
of euphoric contentment, that walking seemed to be a bother somehow. So, she just cast a   
levitation spell and started floating through the palace a foot off the ground. Maids and   
house servants had arched eyebrows as she floated by, and questions directed to the   
redhead were met with, "Isn't it such a lovely morning?" rather than, "GET THE HELL   
OUT OF MY WAY OR I'LL SEND YOU HOME IN A FREAK'N BOX!" like she might   
normally greet people.  
  
Lina was not usually a morning person…  
  
She giggled softly as she descended the staircase into the garden. So this is what   
being a woman felt like… Giggling again she paused to smell the roses blooming nearby.   
Her thoughts traveled to the unconscious swordsman she had left snoring in his bedroom.   
She was reasonably sure he'd recover eventually.  
  
This thought caused her to giggle again. Life was so grand! Life was wonderful!   
Life was…  
  
"Oi, Lina."  
  
The greeting caused her line of thought and concentration both to go off-track. With   
a sharp cry, she fell to the ground.  
  
Jumping to her feet, she parted the hair that had fallen over her eyes and found   
Zelgadis there. "Zel? Good morning!" she said brightly.   
  
The chimera arched an eyebrow. Normally, he'd question her bright disposition,   
suspecting the worst, but today he had another problem. "Lina, we need to talk. It's pretty   
urgent."  
  
Lina smiled knowingly. "I see…Sylphiel…"  
  
Zelgadis interrupted her. "Then you know."  
  
She nodded and grinned at him. "You sly dog…"  
  
His eyes narrowed. "Um…I think we're talking about two different things here,"   
he noted.  
  
"We are?" she asked, scratching her head. "Oh…well…you tell me your news,   
and I'll tell you mine."  
  
Zelgadis took a breath and began. "It's Sylphiel. I'm not sure how yet, but…"  
  
"Zelgadis dear!"  
  
He gasped and turned at the sound of her voice. Sylphiel was standing on top of the   
marble steps near the doorway to the palace. She was smiling and waving at them.  
  
"Oh, no," he whispered.  
  
Lina waved to the woman. "Good morning, Sylphiel!"  
  
Sylphiel took a step forward to the edge of the steps, then started to wobble on her   
feet. "Oh, my," she said, the back of her hand going to her head as her eyelids fluttered.   
She sighed and fell forward in a faint.   
  
"SYLPHIEL!" Zelgadis shouted. "RAYWING!" In a second, he was flying at top   
speed towards the shrine maiden. Sylphiel was tumbling down the hard marble steps,   
bouncing like a ball tossed by a child. The chimera could actually hear bones breaking as   
he tried desperately to put on more speed.  
  
Finally, he felt the familiar weight of the priestess strike his arms, and he slowly   
lowered himself to the ground. He heard Lina's boots strike the stone floor next to him and   
her gasp. "Oh my god!"  
  
Sylphiel was a bloody and battered mess. Her left arm was twisted in a way that   
the human arm was simply not meant to be. Blood ran from her mouth and nose, and her   
outfit was cut and bloody all over her body.  
  
"Lina! Healing spell!" Zelgadis ordered.  
  
The redhead nodded her agreement, and the two of them began chanting the   
strongest healing spells they knew, placing their hands over the shrine maiden's body.  
  
(Damn you! Damn you! Damn you! Damn you!) he kept screaming in his mind.   
  
  
  
Zelgadis looked down at his possessed lover as she opened her eyes and smiled.   
"They're finally gone," she noted, sitting up. Her injuries were healed thanks to several   
healing spells, not only from him and and Lina, but from Amelia and Gracia as well.   
Afterwards, they had left the room to let her sleep. Zelgadis stayed with her. He knew that   
the Mazoku was aware of what was happening around him, and who knew what would   
happen if Zelgadis left?  
  
He glared hatefully at her.   
  
"Oh, don't look so angry," she cooed. "She's alive, after all." She stood up and   
stretched. "Do you see now?" she asked him. He turned away from her in disgust. "I can   
kill her any time I want, any way I want." She smiled at his back as he began shaking with   
rage at his own impotence. "It's really an interesting idea, isn't it?" she asked. "I can kill   
your woman any way I wish. I should be creative!" she announced. "I mean, yes, an   
aneurysm will do the job, but why do that when I can make her death SPECTACULAR!?"   
She threw her hands in the air and posed dramatically.  
  
Zelgadis tried to quell the rage he was feeling.  
  
"Or maybe I'll trash her reputation at the same time," the demon continued to taunt.   
She leaned over and whispered into his ear. "Maybe I'll dress up in the most whorish   
outfit I can find and just wander the seedy neighborhoods until I get lucky and some drunk   
bandit finds m…"  
  
Zelgadis screamed and turned on her, holding up his hand. "FIRE…"  
  
He paused as he saw her standing there, smiling cruelly at him. "Well?" she   
asked. "Go ahead, Zelgadis dear. Burn me."  
  
The chimera grit his teeth in rage and threw the fireball out the window to explode   
harmlessly. "You bastard," he hissed quietly at her.  
  
She took a step towards him and looked him in the eye. "Last warning," she   
whispered. "You try ANYTHING like that again, and I'll kill Sylphiel Nels Lahda in as   
many ways as I can think of." She stepped away and looked out the window. "The   
message I'll give you to Metallium is going to be an astral essence keyed to a certain   
vibration. It can only be carried by Mazoku which is why I need you."  
  
Zelgadis tensed.  
  
"Yes…Syl chan told me about Scarrin," the demon said with a smile. "You leave   
tonight," she told him. "I'll be sure to give Lina and the others a believable story. Don't   
worry," she assured him. "I'm sure they won't want to chase after you THIS time."  
  
He stood there enraged.  
  
"You can go now," she told him, almost as an afterthought. "I know you won't try   
that again. If you do and I find out…" She snapped her fingers. "Just like that."  
  
Zelgadis started for the door and paused there to say one final thing.  
  
"Shabranigdo," he hissed cruelly. "One day soon…I'm going to kill you…." He   
turned to the demon. "And the rest of your FUCKING RACE!" he spat.  
  
The demon grinned and wiggled her fingers at him in goodbye. "Gambatte!"  
  
Zelgadis walked out the door and slammed it behind him.  
  
  
  
Sylphiel's hand reached up slowly and grasped one of the bars of her cage.   
Shaking, she pulled herself up to a standing position. Her breath came in ragged, painful   
gasps as she rested against the bars.  
  
"Finally recovered, have you?" the red eyes asked her.   
  
The priestess glared out at the smirking eyes. He might have been able to just shrug   
off the injuries, but she had felt every painful impact of flesh against stone as her body had   
been thrown down the marble steps.   
  
"You'll be happy to know that your mate has finally realized the futility of   
opposition and is going to assist us."  
  
"You," she corrected quietly. "Assist YOU."  
  
"Semantics," he dismissed.  
  
She glared tiredly at him. "You're despicable," she whispered.  
  
"Yes," he agreed with a chuckle. "But in the end, I WILL win…"  
  
Sylphiel was still trying to catch her breath after the injuries she had endured.   
"No," she told him quietly. "Zelgadis dear will stop you. He did it before."  
  
The eyes laughed at her. "Ah yes!" he agreed. "That tiny part of me in the priest's   
eyes. Let me let you in on a dirty little secret, Sylphiel dear. I was broken into parts of   
varying strengths and make-ups. Destroying the part of me in Rezo isn't THAT big of an   
achievement." He chuckled. "As a matter of fact, if I were to classify the part of me that   
your friends destroyed, I'd have to call it 'my knee.'"  
  
"And what are you?" she asked, a knot forming in her stomach.  
  
Another chuckle. "My dear shrine maiden, I'm the part that was considered so   
dangerous, a magical seal the size of a city had to be constructed to insure I wouldn't   
escape."  
  
Sylphiel took another breath as ice clutched her.  
  
"You see, Sylphiel dear," he went on, "Any idiot can have power. Lina Inverse   
has power. Your mate has power. Rezo the Red Priest had power. But that's not what   
makes them dangerous."  
  
The shrine maiden listened as the Dark Lord lectured.  
  
"No, what makes them dangerous is the knowledge they accumulated with it. A   
man with power is nothing to fear if he doesn't have the intelligence to direct that power."  
  
"And that's what you are," she concluded.  
  
"Correct," he affirmed for her. "I…am the intellect."  
  
  
  
"Poor Miss Sylphiel," Amelia noted at the lunch table as she looked up in the   
direction of the stairway that led to the guest room where the shrine maiden was   
recovering. "That must have really hurt."  
  
Lina nodded as she gobbled down her food. She paused suddenly, a sausage   
perched precariously on her fork only an inch from the sorceress' mouth. "Amelia," she   
began. "Have you talked to Zel today?"  
  
Amelia shook her head. "No. Well, not really. He stormed out not too long ago   
and said he had to take care of something. He looked really mad."  
  
"He was acting strange earlier," Lina mused thoughtfully. "He was going to tell   
me something about Sylphiel before she fell. Afterwards, he pretended it was nothing and   
wouldn't speak up."  
  
"Do…do you think maybe…they're fighting again?" Amelia asked timidly.  
  
Lina blinked. "'Again?'" she asked. "I wasn't aware they had ever fought."  
  
"Well," Amelia confessed quietly. "They had a big fight back in Borden. For   
awhile…I thought they were going to separate."  
  
"Hmmm…" Lina thought to herself.  
  
Before the conversation could continue, a blond man about an inch from death   
stumbled down the stairs. He leaned against the wall in exhaustion and looked at his   
surroundings.   
  
"Gourry!" Lina squealed happily. A second later she caught herself and cleared   
her throat and said, "'Bout time you got up! Too bad there's no food left for you!"  
  
The swordsman was blinking in confusion. "Th…There was…these little people,"   
he muttered. "Then I was tied up….Something red….And then…nothing…What happened   
to me?"  
  
"Hey! Lazy ass!" Lina called out. "Are you going to stand there all day asking   
stupid questions or are you going to kiss me good morning?!"  
  
Amelia took no notice of Lina's flirting with Gourry and continued to look up at the   
stairwell in thought. "Something's not right," she muttered. Rising to her feet, she started   
up the stairs to Sylphiel's room.  
  
  
  
Shabranigdo stared out the window at the city that made up his prison. It was full   
of happy, smiling people. White mages and priests, bustling about, unknowingly   
strengthening the bars of his cell with their uplifting thoughts and practices.  
  
He was looking forward to the day when he could raze this city to the ground…  
  
A knock on the door prompted the Mazoku to turn. "Yes?" he asked, still just a bit   
surprised to hear the shrine maiden's voice as his own.  
  
"Miss Sylphiel? It's me. Amelia. Can I come in?"  
  
The Dark Lord smiled. "Of course, Miss Amelia. Come right in."  
  
  
  
"What are you doing?" Sylphiel asked in alarm, her hands wrapping around two of   
the bars of her cell as she peered out between them.  
  
"Setting the stage, of course," Shabranigdo answered her. "After all, we cannot   
have Lina Inverse and the others follow their usual habit of following after Zelgadis dear,   
can we?"  
  
Sylphiel could only watch and worry.  
  
  
  
"Miss Sylphiel?" Amelia asked as she entered the room. "There's something   
wrong, isn't there?"  
  
She watched as her fellow shrine maiden sat demurely on the bed and looked away.   
"Miss Amelia…I appreciate your concern…but I'm afraid there's nothing you can do this   
time."  
  
Amelia sighed. "I was afraid it was something like this," she said. She sat down   
next to Sylphiel and took her hand. "I'm so sorry, Miss Sylphiel."  
  
Sylphiel sighed dramatically. "I…I think it may be for the best, Miss Amelia."  
  
"What happened?" the princess asked, wondering how all of her plans and efforts   
could have fallen apart so quickly.  
  
The shrine maiden smiled and squeezed her hand. "Miss Amelia, thank you for   
everything you've done…but…Zelgadis dear wants his cure…and…well…" She took a   
breath. "Apparently, there isn't enough room in his life for both me and finding the cure to   
his curse…"  
  
  
  
"You…cold…heartless…" Sylphiel growled, squeezing her eyes shut.  
  
"You'll like this next bit," the eyes told her.  
  
  
  
The shrine maiden took a breath. "It…It's my own fault, really," she told Amelia.   
"I…I guess I just pushed too hard…" Tears started to flow down her cheeks. "I know…I   
know I shouldn't have asked him to stay with me, but…" She broke down and began to cry   
in earnest.  
  
Amelia bit her lip and hugged the woman. "I'm so sorry, Miss Sylphiel! He   
shouldn't be like that! I know he loves you! I know he does!"  
  
Sylphiel wiped at her eyes and collected herself. "Maybe, Miss Amelia. But he   
wants his cure more. And…And I can't stand in his way this time…"  
  
"Miss Sylphiel…You mustn't give up!"  
  
The priestess shook her head. "No! It's over! He's leaving tonight to follow up a   
lead on his cure!"  
  
"Talk to him, Miss Sylphiel!" Amelia cried.  
  
"I tried!" she replied in tears. "I tried, but he just told me that…that…that I was in   
the way!"  
  
Amelia gasped under her breath. "He…he really said that?"  
  
Sylphiel nodded frantically. "He said…" She broke off and sniffled. "…That if I   
really loved him, I'd leave him alone and let him find what he really wants!"  
  
"That's so cold!" Amelia declared hotly.  
  
"Please, Miss Amelia! You mustn't blame him! He was only being honest!"  
  
"That's no excuse to treat you like that!" Amelia turned for the door. "I'm going to   
go give him a piece of my mind!"  
  
Sylphiel grabbed her arm. "No! Please, Miss Amelia! This is so humiliating as it   
is! Just…just please….Don't let anyone know what I told you! Please!"  
  
Amelia's expression softened. "Miss Sylphiel…"  
  
"Please?" she begged.  
  
The princess sighed. "All right, Miss Sylphiel," she said. "If that's what you   
want…"  
  
"Thank you, Miss Amelia."  
  
  
  
"And that should take care of that," the eyes told Sylphiel mockingly. "All that's   
left is Lina Inverse, and what I have planned will make her so angry, it'll be a surprise if   
she doesn't kill Zelgadis dear right there on the spot."  
  
"I hate you," Sylphiel whispered hauntingly. The words surprised her. She didn't   
hate anyone. She didn't even really hate Copii Rezo. But this man…this thing…she hated   
him. She hated him for what he was doing to her, for what he was doing to Zelgadis dear,   
and for what he was doing to Zelgadis dear's reputation.  
  
She hated him.  
  
"I may weep openly," Shabranigdo told her in a bored voice, rolling his crimson   
eyes. "Now, then, I have a few things to do, so you just sit down and wait like a good little   
bird." With that, the eyes disappeared.  
  
Sylphiel turned and leaned against the bars of her cage, sliding down them until she   
was sitting against them. What was she going to do? There had to be SOME way for her   
to fight back…  
  
As the hopelessness of her situation continued to crash against her, she started to   
cry. The more she thought about it, the less options she found available.   
  
"Forgive me, Zelgadis dear," she whimpered. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all of it."   
Tears fell from her green eyes and struck her leg as she continued to cry.   
  
As she wept, she nearly failed to notice a new source of light. Turning to her left,   
she saw it. A tiny pinprick of light had popped up from the floor and was floating before   
her. She blinked as the light hovered there, and fearing another attack from Shabranigdo,   
started to push herself away from it. The light, however, only followed. It moved until it   
was directly in front of her eyes. The brightness increased in intensity, and she smiled.   
The light shining down from the tiny star seemed to fill her with renewed hope.   
  
Reaching up, she cupped the tiny star in her hands and brought it closer. It   
continued to glow softly, giving her warmth. The shrine maiden sniffled and held it to her   
chest.  
  
Before long, she was asleep.  
  
  
  
"You were gone a long time," the Dark Lord noted as Zelgadis entered the room   
and unceremoniously deposited a heavy rucksack on the bed.  
  
Zelgadis growled. "If I'm going to travel a thousand miles into the heart of Mazoku   
territory, I'm going prepared. Is that okay with YOU?" he asked snidely.  
  
"Temper temper, Zelgadis dear," the demon smiled.   
  
"Yeah, fuck you too," the chimera muttered under his breath as he went through his   
supplies. Some dried meat and vegetables, travel bread, a few vials of bluish liquid…  
  
"What is this?" Sylphiel/Shabranigdo asked, holding up one of the vials.   
  
"Cepheid's Water," Zelgadis answered, not bothering to look at the demon in his   
lover's body. "Mazoku are 'allergic' to it, for lack of a better word. It eats away at their   
astral essence."  
  
"I see," Shabranigdo commented, studying the liquid.   
  
"Why don't you have a sip?" Zelgadis sneered.  
  
She smiled. "No, thank you. Not thirsty."  
  
He paused as he was rearranging his supplies. "What guarantee do I have that after   
I leave, Sylphiel will be safe?"  
  
"You don't have one," she answered simply.   
  
"Feh….Figures," he muttered. He returned to packing his supplies.  
  
"Oh, enough grumbling," she chastised. "Time to give you the message. Stand up."  
  
Zelgadis rose to his full height and turned around, facing the demon. She raised her   
palm to him. "So what is…" Before he could finish his inquiry, he was struck by a pulse   
of red light that knocked him across the room and into the far wall. The breath knocked out   
of him, Zelgadis slid down the wall onto the floor.  
  
Sylphiel/Shabranigdo smiled and nodded in satisfaction. "That should do nicely!"   
She watched as the chimera started to struggle to his feet. "In case you're curious, that was   
the message. It's kind of an astral encoding. Metallium will know how to decrypt it. Oh,   
and I went ahead and gave you a Mazoku-friendly astral essence." She smiled.   
"Metallium's wolves probably won't eat you now when you show up."  
  
"'Probably?'" Zelgadis grunted as he finally managed to climb to his feet.  
  
"Shit happens," the demon told him with a smile.  
  
"So it seems," the chimera agreed with a growl. Taking a breath to steady himself,   
he picked up his rucksack from the bed and started for the door. "I'll leave tonight,   
quietly," he told her.  
  
"Of course," she agreed.  
  
  
  
Gourry yawned and smiled as he stepped onto the palace roof. Since he and Lina   
had become intimate, his chibi self conscious hadn't bothered him again, which was fine   
with him. He was seriously beginning to wonder if there was something wrong with his   
mind.  
  
Oh well…whatever.  
  
Stepping onto the roof, he saw a familiar figure gazing out at the setting sun. He   
brightened and waved. "Oi, Zelgadis!" The chimera didn't answer him, so Gourry walked   
up and stood beside him. He wasn't offended or anything. Zelgadis sometimes entered into   
really contemplative moods like this.  
  
"Hmm," Zelgadis finally said in greeting.  
  
The swordsman scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Hey, Zelgadis…About   
what you were talking about last night. I'm sorry I kind of zoned out there. I had a lot on   
my mind."  
  
"No problem, Gourry," Zelgadis told him, staring at the sun.  
  
"You know, I was kind of thinking about it this morning….You see…um…stuff kind   
of happened last night that…well…made me think…"  
  
He waited for a joke or comment from Zelgadis about his intelligence. None came.  
  
"Anyway," he said softly. "Last night I really knew what you were talking about.   
And I figured that I should be the one thanking you."  
  
This statement got the chimera's attention, and he finally turned to the blond. "What   
do you mean?" he asked quietly.  
  
"Well," Gourry began, trying to think of the best way to say it without sounding like   
a moron. "I used to worry about Sylphiel a lot. Like after that whole Rezo thing and her   
town was destroyed. She just seemed so…alone."  
  
Zelgadis went back to looking at the sunset.  
  
Gourry smiled. "But now that she has you, I know she won't have to feel that way   
anymore!" He patted the stone man on the back. "So thanks!"  
  
His message delivered, Gourry turned to go.  
  
"What would you do for Lina?" the chimera suddenly asked him.  
  
The swordsman paused in his tracks and turned. "Eh?"  
  
"How far would you go?" Zelgadis asked quietly. "What would you do for   
her…for her safety?"  
  
Gourry smiled. "Oh, that's easy! Anything!"  
  
Zelgadis didn't say anything else. Gourry took that as a cue and left him there with   
his thoughts.  
  
  
  
The castle was dark at this time of night. But it was never too dark for a midnight   
snack! Lina told herself this as she put on her robe and gave one last look at the   
unconscious swordsman sprawled out on the bed. She was sure he'd recover eventually.   
She was already getting the hang of this intimacy thing, but it sure left her hungry.  
  
Just as she was reaching for the doorknob, there was a knock. She blinked and   
opened the door. "Sylphiel?" she asked, surprised to see the shrine maiden there. "What's   
wrong?"  
  
"Zelgadis dear has disappeared," the violet-haired woman told her. "Have you   
seen him?"  
  
Lina shook her head in disbelief. "Disappeared? Maybe he went for a snack or…"  
  
"Please, Miss Lina! Help me look for him!" Sylphiel begged.  
  
"Um…Yeah…Yeah, sure. Of course." Being careful not to wake yogurt brain, she   
stepped into the hallway with the priestess and shut the door behind her.  
  
  
  
"What are you doing?!" Sylphiel asked in alarm, grabbing hold of the bars of her   
cage and looking out at the image of her friend as she set out to help find Zelgadis.  
  
"Just covering the possibilities, little bird," Shabranigdo told her.  
  
  
  
Zelgadis was used to lurking in the shadows, so moving through the palace at night   
was more comfortable for him than if it had been filled with people. The rucksack on his   
back was heavy, yet thanks to the chimera's demon strength, Zelgadis barely felt it. He   
paused for a moment and asked himself again if he was doing the right thing. To leave   
Sylphiel like this for who knows how many months was a frightening idea, but if he didn't   
do as Shabranigdo demanded, he'd kill her…terribly.   
  
He thought about some of the taunts the demon had used as it rattled off the best   
ways to kill her. Thinking of those things made him almost consider going upstairs and   
giving the demon a Ra Tilt. Even if the spell or the demon killed Sylphiel, it would have to   
be a faster and less painful death than some of the things Shabranigdo had laughingly listed.  
  
Zelgadis started walking again. No. As long as she was alive, there was hope.   
She taught him that. SHE taught him that life begets hope.  
  
If there was a way to free her from Shabranigdo, he'd find it.  
  
"LIGHTING!"  
  
He looked up in surprise as white light filled the room.   
  
Amelia stood before him, a lighting spell in her hand. "Mister Zelgadis?" she   
asked, blinking in surprise. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Zelgadis dear!"  
  
He whirled around and saw Sylphiel and Lina standing behind him, having come up   
the same hallway he had.   
  
(What the…)  
  
  
  
"Whatever you're doing, stop it, please!" Sylphiel begged the demon.   
  
"Do you play chess, little bird?" the demon asked casually.  
  
"No! No, I don't play chess, but what does that have to do with anything?!" she   
cried.  
  
"In chess, little bird, strategy is everything. It's not enough to react to a move the   
opponent just made, you must react to the move he WILL make ten moves from now."  
  
"Please stop," she begged. "Please."  
  
"Not quite yet," he told her.  
  
  
  
"Hey, Zel," Lina asked, pointing at his rucksack. "Where are you going?"  
  
"Zelgadis dear?" Sylphiel asked fearfully. "Is something wrong? Where are you   
going, sneaking out in the middle of the night?" She stepped forward.   
  
Zelgadis only blinked in surprise. What was Shabranigdo up to now?  
  
"I…I know we fought, but…" the priestess said, stepping towards him. "But   
please…don't just leave…"  
  
"Is there something going on, Zel?" Lina asked, just a touch of fire in her voice.   
Amelia only looked on sadly. Sylphiel had hinted that something like this might happen.  
  
Zelgadis grit his teeth. If Shabranigdo wanted to make him look like a jerk in front   
of his friends as some kind of insult, let him. Saving Sylphiel was more important now.   
  
(All right,) he thought. (You want to play a game, fine. Let's play and get it over   
with.) "I'm leaving," he said. "I have a new lead on my cure. I'm going to investigate it,"   
he said, bringing out the oldest excuse in the book. He turned and started walking again.  
  
"Zelgadis dear! You know that's a lie!" the demon in Sylphiel's body cried after   
him. "How could you do this to me?!"  
  
He could feel Lina's gaze boring into his back as he continued walking without a   
word. If looks could kill, he imagined the entire kingdom of Seyruun would be one giant   
crater right now.   
  
It didn't matter. Lina could think whatever she wanted. Amelia could believe what   
she liked. It didn't matter right now.  
  
He continued walking.  
  
"How could you do this to me?!" the shrine maiden screamed at his back. "WHEN   
I'M CARRYING YOUR CHILD?!"  
  
The world stopped spinning.  
  
Amelia, standing right next to him now, gasped in complete shock. Zelgadis was   
standing there, his eyes wide, haunted. He turned slowly. It had to be a lie. Just another   
lie to cause him pain. It…it had to be, right?  
  
As he turned, he saw their faces. Amelia was in complete shock, actually pale.   
Sylphiel's face was buried in her hands, weeping. And Lina…  
  
Lina was staring right at him, glaring as if she would like nothing more than to   
Dragon Slave him right there, but that's not what caught his attention…  
  
Lina Inverse looked in no way, shape, or form, the slightest bit surprised by what   
Sylphiel had just said.  
  
Everything fell into place. Sylphiel's mysterious illness…  
  
He had asked Lina to take her to a doctor…  
  
And she wasn't surprised by the announcement because she already knew it was the   
truth…  
  
  
  
"STOP IT! STOP IT!" Sylphiel cried as she pulled on the bars of the cage.   
"YOU'VE WON! HE'S GOING! STOP DOING THIS TO HIM!" She released the bars a   
moment later and fell to the floor, tears running down her cheeks. "You won," she   
whispered. "Why? Why did you do that?! YOU HAD ALREADY WON!" she screamed   
at the demon.  
  
"You were wrong about many things, little bird," Shabranigdo taunted her from   
outside the cage. "But there was one thing you were right about. He really would kill you   
if he thought there was no other way to free you. If it came to that, he'd kill you and me   
without a second's thought. But now…." The demon snickered. "Not a chance."  
  
Sylphiel looked up at the smiling eyes hovering outside the cage. She screamed   
and rushed forward, slamming her body into the bars, reaching through them as if she could   
grab them and choke the life from them. "YOU SLIMY FILTH!" she screamed at him.   
"YOU DISGUSTING, FILTHY, SADISTIC PIECE OF DIRT!" She continued to scream,   
tears running down her face as she tried to reach the eyes that were torturing her and her   
Zelgadis dear.   
  
Shabranigdo laughed at her and gave her cage a push, causing it to sway from side   
to side. The eyes faded from her sight.   
  
Sylphiel screamed in grief and fell to the floor again, weeping uncontrollably.   
  
"ZELGADIS DEEEEEAAAAR!!!"  
  
  
  
Zelgadis met each of their glares, not saying anything as he digested this new piece   
of information. He knew what he had to do now. He knew it was going to hurt. He knew   
he didn't want to do it. And he knew that he wanted very much to kill Shabranigdo right   
now.  
  
He knew what he had to say…  
  
So he took a breath…  
  
And said it.  
  
"I don't care."  
  
It came out as a whisper, and at the same time it seemed as loud as a thunderclap in   
his ears.  
  
Amelia actually turned a new shade of white. Sylphiel cried harder and fell to her   
knees, weeping.   
  
Zelgadis turned and started for the door again, cursing himself and the demon with   
every step.  
  
"That's it!?" Lina shouted at his back. "That's ALL you have to say?!"   
  
Zelgadis ignored her. It was the only thing he could do.  
  
"You bastard," Lina whispered at his back. "You cold, uncaring bastard…"   
Before she could even think enough through her shock to consider fireballing him, he was   
out the door and gone.  
  
"You bastard," she whispered again.  
  
"Zelgadis dear," Sylphiel wept next to her. "How could you?"  
  
Lina knelt next to her friend and hugged her. "Shhhh," she cooed. "It'll be okay,   
Sylphiel. It'll be okay. Come on. Let's put you to bed." She helped the woman to her feet.   
"Help me out, Ame…" she said, turning…  
  
But Amelia was gone.  
  
  
  
Zelgadis fought back the anger and grief he was feeling right now. Anger and grief   
wasn't going to help Sylphiel. It wasn't going to make this any easier. So he walked. He   
pushed those emotions as far down into his soul as he could. There would be another time.   
Another place. But not here, and not now.  
  
The streets of Seyruun were very quiet, almost a reflection of the palace. Very few   
people were out and about.  
  
Zelgadis was fine with that. He didn't want to be near people now. He continued   
walking.  
  
"Mister Zelgadis!"  
  
Stopping, he looked up and saw Amelia standing on a nearby roof, pointing down at   
him angrily. He sighed. "Amelia, go away…"  
  
She responded by jumping into the air, flipping, and landing nimbly on her feet for   
once. Pointing at him again, she seemed to falter for a second. Then, "What you did to   
Miss Sylphiel….Was…was…." She shook her head and tried again. "Was the most cruel   
thing I had ever seen ANYONE in this world do! And in the name of Justice, I will not let   
you just walk out as if it were nothing," she hissed.  
  
Zelgadis regarded her almost warily. An angry Amelia wasn't something to laugh   
at.   
  
She changed her pose and pointed again. "I don't know what kind of fight you and   
Miss Sylphiel had," she cried, "But I DO know that you have a responsibility to her and the   
child she's bearing!"  
  
He started walking past her. "Amelia, you don't understand what's happening. Just   
let it go."  
  
She backflipped until she was in front of him again. "No! I won't stand for you   
abandoning her and your unborn child this way! You're going to come back with me,   
apologize to her, and do whatever you have to to MAKE THINGS RIGHT!"  
  
For a second, Zelgadis considered telling her what was really going on, but he   
knew that it was simply too dangerous. One slip of the tongue, something Amelia had a   
bad habit of, and Sylphiel was dead.  
  
He simply couldn't risk it. He simply could not trust ANYONE with this.  
  
"Go back to the palace, Amelia," he said again, starting past her.  
  
"No way," Amelia breathed, raising her hands. "LAFAS SH…."  
  
The chimera reacted quickly, lunging forward and burying his knee in the pit of   
Amelia's stomach before she could finish the imprisonment spell!  
  
Amelia gasped as the breath was knocked forcibly from her body. Pain ran up and   
down her small form, and she dropped to her hands and knees, trying desperately to   
breathe.  
  
Zelgadis bit his lip as he looked down at her. He had reacted without thinking and   
honestly didn't mean to hit her that hard. Kneeling beside her, he rested a hand on her   
shoulder. "Amelia…"  
  
The princess looked up at him, furious, and lashed out!  
  
Zelgadis felt a slight tickling in the left side of his face and heard a sickening   
cracking sound.   
  
Amelia cried out in pain and held her broken hand. She had slapped him so hard,   
her fingers had broken against his stone skin. Tears of pain and disappointment ran down   
her face.  
  
"Amelia," he said softly.   
  
She looked up at him, fire in her eyes. "Get out," she whispered through the sob   
forming in her throat.  
  
Zelgadis blinked in surprise. This wasn't the usual Amelia.  
  
"I said GET OUT!" she screamed at him. "GET OUT OF MY KINGDOM! GET   
OUT OF MY SIGHT! GET OUT!"  
  
The chimera stood up and grit his teeth before walking past her. He was alone   
now. Totally alone.  
  
That's the way it would have to be until he figured out some way to expel   
Shabranigdo from Sylphiel.  
  
He paused. Amelia was sobbing behind him. The sounds of her crying echoed in   
his ears. That's when he realized it.  
  
Just as Rezo had done by changing him into a chimera, Shabranigdo had made   
Zelgadis a monster again.  
  
  
To Be Continued…  
  
  
  
Ending Theme: "Half the World," by Belinda Carlisle  
  
Only one shadow on the wall  
Just one candle burning bright  
I hold your picture to my heart  
I'm alone inside the night.  
  
The sun comes up in China…  
The lights go on in Rome  
Half the world is waiting for someone they can hold  
Half the world is praying they'll never be alone.  
  
Every time you leave me a part of me goes too.  
And half the world is waiting here for you.  
  
I reach across an empty bed.  
I hear you whisper in my ear.  
But like the sun without the moon  
It's half a dream without you here.  
  
The train that takes you from me  
Brings somebody home.  
Half the world is waiting for someone they can hold.  
Half the world is praying they'll never be alone.  
  
Every time you leave me a part of me goes too.  
And half the world is waiting here for you.  
  
Baby the earth stands still  
When I'm lying next to you.  
No matter where you go  
Our whole world's inside this room.  
  
The sun comes up in China…  
The lights go on in Rome…  
Half the world is waiting for someone they can hold.  
Half the world is praying they'll never be alone.  
  
And every time you leave me  
My heart breaks in two…  
Half the world is waiting here for you.  
I'm waiting here for you…  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Due to an incredible change in my life, Faces: After will not be updated for at least a few   
months. I have recently enlisted in the military and will be leaving for basic training   
within the next week. However, I assure you, once I am settled into my new life, I will   
continue this saga. I love writing this story too much to give up on it.   
  
Faces: Finale!, the next series in the Faces Cycle, will wrap up the saga of Zelgadis and   
Sylphiel. Be on the lookout for it. It'll be published here first. ^_^  
  
The following people are to be thanked and groveled because without their help, this fic   
would never have even happened. Fish and Sethra, my kawaii prereaders; Will and Cav,   
my not so kawaii prereaders. ^_^ Without you guys, there'd be no Faces. A special   
thanks goes out to a reader named "t" who reminded me of something I neglected to   
mention. A part of this chapter was inspired by an episode of Deep Space Nine. That's   
right. Once again, Star Trek shows us the way. ^_^  
  
  
  
Davner  



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